Sunset Forest
by itslikegravity
Summary: Renesmee is about the size of a ten year old, and happy, as things have been peaceful ever since the Volturi left. But then she gets some bad news, and she realises that happy endings never last for ever. The Volturi are coming back, and her fate is unknown to even her. After all, when you know the worst is coming, who can you trust? A tale of friendship, family and revenge!
1. Prologue

Even though I had known this was coming, that in no way made it better.

They say that it isn't about the destination, it is about the journey, I think that now I know the true meaning of that phrase. You know that the inevitable is coming for you, the journey merely postpones that. But when the destination of your journey is so terrible, sometimes the journey - as horrible as it is - can prepare you in some ways. Sometimes.

However, nothing could have _ever _have prepared me for this. When the inevitable is coming for you, there is no one that you can trust. I have learnt this, and so many over things from this journey. I have found strength, life, and the true meaning of the word 'love'. Maybe there was some force that made sure not everything was agony, that made sure that you had some happiness. This final destination was horrible, but I wouldn't trade what I have found and disscovered from it for anything.

They had come for us. They had come for _me._

As if our thoughts were shared - which they practically were, we both shrank into each other, not only for warmth, but for comfort, just curled up against each other, listening to each others breathing and watching our own breaths make beautiful swirling clouds in the freezing morning air We were waiting.

No matter what the outcome of this would be, my whole life would change. If we had the advantage, we would have a great duty, a duty that we could not shake off. We would be murderers. If we lost, I would die. We would all die. The world would revolve around as if we were never here, but my world would stop, along with at the worlds of twenty-two people, at the minimum.

After many, _many_ minutes of silence, we heard the sound we had known was coming.

The gentle breeze, that we knew could only mean one thing.

To someone else, someone who had a normal life, this might have meant a gust of wind, but to me it meant so much more. It meant that the danger was here, it meant that screams would soon pierce the morning, it meant that everyone I cared about was about to put their lives on the line. It meant this could be my final breath, it meant that my entire world could crumble down around me completely. It _would_ crumble down.

But above all it meant one thing.

They were here.


	2. Chapter 1

1. Betrayal

I really look forward to these days, the days when I get to see Grandpa but even after three years Dad still feels the need to give me a pep talk.

"Now what do you do if you get thirsty?" He said for about the millionth time.

"Excuse myself and go outside to cool down." I said with a sigh, wouldn't it just be peachy if he could trust me? I mean, for once?

"Exactly," He said proudly. I sighed heavily, Mum smiled, she loves the way I look like Dad when I do that.

"And what do you never do while he is here?" chimed in Alice.

"Show him something by touching him," gosh, I mean if I haven't tried to drink his blood by now why should I?

"Ok," said Dad scrutinizing me, "I think you're ready"

_It's not like I'm getting ready for I fight to the death, _I thought sarcastically.

He frowned.

_Ok, Ok, bad joke._

He rolled his eyes.

Emmett growled quietly and Mum chuckled, he absolutely hated it when he didn't know what was going on.

Dad shot me a look that clearly said _He's not _that _bad. _This caused Emmett to scowl so hard that the phrase 'If looks could kill' popped into my head.

"Believe me if they could I know he would have found some way to use it for our anoyment."

Emmett looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel.

I wondered if that was even possible for vampires, maybe…

I jumped the sound of gravel crunching under the wheels of Charlie's car snapped me out of my reverie.

After a few seconds the door opened revealing Charlie, followed by Jacob shaking his head like a wet dog, which, admittedly, he had probably just been.

"Hey Nessie!" said Charlie as he came through the door and embraced me in a tight hug.

"Grandpa!" I squealed

"Oh, you're getting so big!" He was right. I had matured from a tiny baby to about the size of a ten year old in almost four years!

"Hi Char- I mean dad." said Mum.

"Hey Bells!" said Charlie enthusiastically, "You really should put her in school, she's going to get behind."

Me and her exchanged a quick glance, we both knew there was no way that I could get behind in work, that was one thing we were all certain of.

A few seconds later Jacob charged in, sprinting at full speed into the living room. I didn't think our tiny cottage could stand another person, there would be hardly any room to move around, as it was some of my family had to stand with their backs against the wall-

The look on his face cut off my musing, his face had agony and horror spread across it.

There was a long pause as everyone else took in his expression, they didn't seem to feel too good about it either, I thought absently. It was absent because the other part of my brain was trying to figure out where I had seen that look before, I was sure it had been quite a while ago, and it was a little bit fuzzy, but, who knows? I may have just been having an incredibly strong case of déjà vu.

"Jacob?" It was mum's frantic voice that broke the silence that seemed to have lasted years, though it was probably only a few seconds.

Suddenly I realized when I had seen that look before as the horror crossed dad's face too.

And I realized it could only mean one thing.

They were coming back.


	3. Chapter 2

2. Questions

Questions like, _Why, _and more importantly _When, _popped into my head. But the one that seemed most pressing, _How?_ How could they be coming back, I thought it was over! That it was done!

I guess there are just some things in life you can't count on. Like happiness, hope, and everything that you are most sure about.

"Jacob, what's wrong?" said Mum, her voice was such a low whisper that I could barely make out what she was saying.

How could she not know? How would she take it when she realized?

_Guess I'm about to find out, _I thought, if I were not still in shock I probably would have felt a bit of dread.

"Them," said Jacob, again could barely figure out what he had said through his teeth. When she clearly was still non-plussed he continued "The Volturi."

What little color any of them had was drained from my family's faces.

Carlisle gasped, and then, so quick that the movement didn't exist, he wrapped Esme in his arms as she began to tremble.

Jasper let out a hiss and immediately went into hunting mode. He sunk into a crouch in front of Alice and was obviously getting ready to take her and run if any hint of danger arose.

Emmett looked shocked for a millisecond then he rolled up his sleeves and flexed his rolling muscles, while Rosalie looked at me incredibly protectively, and seemed like she just wanted to get me out of here as soon as she could.

Meanwhile, Bella stayed completely still, like she was a living stone. Her expression was the only thing that had changed.

What had once been curiosity and concern was now dread, horror, and stubborn disbelief.

Dad was not in shock like the rest of them, he had known, of course, as soon as he had walked in the door. He looked like he was in deep, deep thought.

I was currently trying to remember everything about the amazingly powerful ancient family of vampires, trying to grab hopelessly at anything that might give me some clue to what was going on.

Aro, the leader of the ancients – or so it seemed – had the incredible ability to hear all the thoughts your mind had ever held. He had always made it clear that he thought of Carlisle as an 'old friend'. I remembered his parting line in which he hoped that they could still count each other as such. He certainly hadn't done what Carlisle had requested that he should prove that he should still be counted as one, if that was what he wanted.

Caius hated us. Hated us to his very core. He detested our lifestyle and wanted deeply to slaughter us, last time we saw him he had been ready to do that, and in cold blood! I truly hoped that his and Aro's relationship had gone downhill. When Aro had voted no for our execution Caius had been fuming with anger, and that could only be a good thing (that he was angry mostly with Aro).

Marcus, I wasn't sure about, he always had a blank bored look, that I assumed was to hide some inner emotion, I was terrified at the possibilities of what that emotion could be.

And maybe the worst of all, Jane and Alec. Jane's ability to simulate the worst possible pain was almost as bad as Alec's ability to cut of all of your senses.

A whole army, coven, or, in our case, family at his mercy.

There was no way that they could be coming back!

'The Vol-who?" said Charlie who was still standing in front of me, snapping me out of my train of thought. He seemed utterly stunned about what had happened over just a few seconds.

"Charlie, we have some friends coming over, I'm sorry but we can see you again soon." Said Carlisle, taking authority.

"Ok, but, just what's happening?" he said then backtracked, because of the exasperated looks he got, "Oh… umm, ok. I'll just, uh…. Go then. See you later, um, yeah… bye." He said awkwardly, and then when nobody did anything, he walked out of the door.

When the grumbling of his engine had disappeared, the questions started.

"How?" Asked Carlisle.

"Why now?" Said Emmett.

"When?" Asked Rosalie

"Who did this, no matter why they are coming, who told them to?" Said Esme.

"Leah," said Jacob through his teeth, "She went there human."

This shocked us all, then suddenly Dad was up in Jacob's face, and the smiling, joking person was gone.

"How could she do this, how could you let her! I thought things like this were behind us! She will _pay._" Said Dad, clearly beyond all reason. Though he was much taller than Dad he still seemed to cower slightly below him.

"I told you! She went their human! I didn't think to give an order, how was I to know that she would do this?" Said Jake, who know seemed a bit angry too, now.

"Edward," said Esme, warning him, "We cannot blame him for this."

Dad took a deep breath – not that he needed it, of course – then he said,

"I'm sorry Jacob, that was harsh of me." He said curtly, then he asked "But why would they come?"

Then his eyes widened in fear, as he listened to Jacob's answer in his head.

"Charlie," he breathed, "they know we have had close contact with a human."

"What shall we do?" whispered Esme, seeming like she didn't really want to know the answer.

"I know what we have do to," said Mum speaking for the first time,

"We have to tell him."


	4. Chapter 3

I couldn't believe what she had said, though it made sense.

Why should he be kept in the dark? We had already been incredibly lucky to survive one visit from them with him being unaware, and now it was directly relevant to him, there was no way we could be so lucky.

What would he do when he found out? Would he be scared? Angry? Disbelieving? If so would any of the unpleasant thoughts go away, once he knew how we hunt?

Would he still love his daughter, even though she was no longer human? I think he would. As mum always said; _love is irrational, the more you love someone, the less anything makes sense. _She and Dad knew this more than anyone; it had applied perfectly to their situation.

"Bella," said Dad tentatively, "Honey, are you sure you are ready for that, for his reaction? What if he's upset? Or Cross? Or," he said, in a hushed undertone "Or frightened?"

She flinched slightly when he said this but quickly assembled herself then said in a hard manner, "Then that will be my problem to deal with, I just can't keep him ignorant and in the dark, not anymore." She said, and it was clear she was not going to budge. Then, she looked like she had suddenly realizing something.

"But," she said hastily, "You don't have to tell them about you of course, that's your decision, not mine."

"Come on," scoffed Emmett mockingly "Do you really think we're such wimps that we can't even-" But a stern look from Carlisle cut him off, stopping him from continuing with his taunting rant.

"Bella, I'm not going to let you do this alone. We're going to do this together, you can't do it by your own." Said Dad.

"Thank you," said Mum, in a hushed tone.

"Anytime," said Dad, smiling his crooked smile, which both she and I loved.

"What shall we do though?" asked Alice, immediately picking up what none of us wanted to discuss, "I don't really think that we can ask our friends to witness, this time, we have done what they accuse us of."

"We fight," said Emmett, a gleam of anticipation beginning to grow in his eye.

"We can't win though," said Esme.

There it was, that unmistakable déjà vu!

Reacting as if her comment was meaningless, he just shrugged.

Well, Emmett will be Emmett!

Then, as if realizing that I could here them for the first time Mum said,

"Honey, you should get to sleep, you must be tired!"

"I'm not tired," I said, but when she mentioned it, a wave of exhaustion swept through me, making my words sound slightly garbled because I had just yawned.

"Come on, I'll put you to bed," said Mum, rolling her eyes at my pathetic response.

As she tucked me in, I asked the question that had been in my head since I found out what was happening.

"What will they do when they come?" I said, though I didn't really want to know the answer, I was scared of what it might be.

"I don't know," then she paused, it looked like she had something that she wanted to say.

"But?" I encouraged her. She let out a sigh.

"But… they will probably give him the same choice I was given," then her voice quavered "that is, if we're lucky."

I wrapped her in a tight hug, whishing, not for the first time, that I could simply take all her worries away.


	5. Chapter 4

4. Nightmare

_I was running through a forest, branches whipping against my skin, it was dark, almost midnight, with no trace of light filtering through the leaves._

_There was something I desperately needed to find._

_Just a bit further…_

_I burst through the trees, and I saw a sea of black and red, moving silently towards me. The Volturi._

_There was someone amongst these faces that I knew by heart, yet now, they seemed like a complete stranger._

_I ran towards them stupidly, right in to the middle of the clearing, getting closer to the danger. But I didn't have enough conscience to tell me to stop; I just _had _to see him!_

_But then I really saw him._

_His eyes were bright red, cold and uncaring. His faces betrayed no hint of emotion, just blank, impossible to read. Perhaps there was nothing there at all._

_Then I saw somebody – I wasn't sure who – raise a metal object in their hand._

_It all happened very quickly then._

_Immediately guards where by my side_

"_No!" I shouted, but all that came out of my mouth was a small squeak._

_I saw Charlie laugh as I was ripped and burned._

I woke with a start, panting as if I had really run for miles. I felt beads of sweat cover my forehead.

_What a horrible dream!_ I thought.

Dad must have heard me; he was within a second at my door.

"Are you alright Ne-" We heard A quiet growl from the next room "Renesmee?"

"Bad dream." I said adding in my head _Very bad dream. _I couldn't help but run over the worst bit, when I saw Charlie.

I saw his expression turn to concern as he watched what I had dreamt.

"Why do you have all these bad dreams?" he said looking worried.

"It usually gets worse when I'm nervous."

I was nervous, but mostly I just was confused.

I still wasn't quite sure why they were coming, what did it matter if we had contact with a human, and why did that mean that we had to tell him?

Why did they have to come all the way here, just because we were friends with grandpa?

And, he didn't even know what we were, and that was presumably why they were angry. And if that was the reason, why should we do the very thing that they had convicted us for?

Dad sighed as he heard my long list of questions, and I guessed – and hoped – that I was about to get some answers.

"We aren't allowed to have contact with humans," he said answering my first question as he walked over to sit on my bed at an almost human pace, "because other vampires are much more," he paused as he tried to think of the right word, "more wild than us. If we had contact with them it would end… badly. Not they really care about that, of course. But, that person would surely tell other people, and then people would suspect things.

"Also, they consider it highly unnatural, in their opion humans are merely for dinner time, disposable, useless, meaningless." He said with disgust.

"We need to tell him because, firstly, Bella dosen't want to keep secrets from him. Secondly, it would be better to have his trust, so that he will listen to us when we tell him to stay away, when they get here.

"They are coming here not just because we are friends with Charlie, there is no way they would do that with a normal" he smiled a small smile at the word, as if there were any _normal _vampires "coven. They are coming all the way here because they would take any opportunity to exterminate us.

"The reason we are doing what they have convicted us for is that, you see, they won't care if we haven't broken the law, they will come anyway, and, like I said before, it is better if he knows."

I remained silent for a few minutes.

I was still stunned by his outburst of truth; they usually tried to keep me in the dark, so that I wouldn't get to upset or scared, when things like this – of course they were _much_ more minor than this.

Then a wave of tiredness once again hit her.

"Sleep" whispered Edward as he rested her head against her pillow, and within seconds she did.

Her dream was not as bad as the other one she had had that night, though it was hardly nice.

She was in a blank room; her family and Charlie were watching her with blank, disdainful eyes and whenever she tried to walk towards them they only moved further away.

She looked down and saw that she was wearing a crimson robe.


	6. Chapter 5

The next day we decided it was time.

Bella called Charlie and told him that our 'guests' had gone and that we would like to see him.

So we were going to tell him _today_.

Mum and Dad had a long conversation about how to best introduce the fact that his beloved daughter, his son-in-law and his granddaughter were not human, it wasn't the easiest job.

We weren't sure whether to work gently up to it, or just to come straight out with it, just like ripping a bandage off.

They had decided that I should not be there when they told him, that it should just be them. That really annoyed me, I guess I would just have to listen _really _hard and hope that I heard his reaction

They were still deciding when the crunching of tires on the driveway cut off their slightly frantic pondering.

And. Here. We. Go.

CHARLIE'S POV

I walked up to the little cottage door, with the picturesque roses curling round it.

I didn't know what was about to happen, but that didn't mean that I wasn't nervous about it.

I took two deep breaths, _c'mon Charlie, you can do this, _and I opened the door and saw that, to my surprise, the only people in there wereBells and Edward. I still wasn't completely used to her new face, nor was I completely ok with it either.

Her skin was marginally – I could barely notice it – paler than usual, and that was really saying something. And there was a frantic tone in her eyes that scared me.

"Hey Bells," I said, I tried to sound happy and nonchalant, but my voice held a slight quaver, and I was pretty sure that she heard it.

"Hi Dad." Wow, she must be really concentrating, she didn't almost say my first name. It always made me feel a little bit amused whenever she did that.

I sure didn't feel amused right now.

"Please sit down." Said Edward, seeming quite vacant; he must be concentrating quite hard on something.

"Now Charlie, we have something to tell you, and you need to be calm, because it has been true for quite a while now."

I took a deep breath. This was it.

Then there was a sound emanating from Bell's mouth that was a sort of like a trilling bell, and her lips were moving so fast that they were blurred.

The only word I could pick out was 'vampire'.

Oh. My. God

Suddenly I realized something; I wasn't scared or afraid.

Maybe it was because I had always known that she was something different, it wasn't quite a big a surprise as it should have been. And if she had been a danger to me – or any of the Cullen's, for that matter – I wouldn't be alive right now.

Then another wave or realization hit me; other people were being killed, and innocent people too.

Then why wasn't I scared? Maybe it was because she was my daughter still, deep down. Well, deep _deep_ down, and though it was completely irrational, I didn't love her any less than when she first moved here. When she was warm, fragile and human.

And I knew that I always would.


	7. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the long wait, I was pretty ill, in fact I still am, but I'll try to update sooner. To make up for it I made more than 1000 words!**

**Happy reading!**

**Ilovetwilight2012**

I had to really strain my ears to hear the conversation; there had been a long pause. After that first awkward minute of silence, Grandpa had given a quite cough and said something that sounded like, "I bearlly cub you".

I sighed; I was never going to be able to know what was going on!

"Eally sand?" said Mum.

I was going to have to lip read.

Cautiously, I looked around to check that nobody was looking – all the family had told me not to look, and give them some privacy – and peeked over the sofa, but I could barely see the cottage, let alone know what was going on inside!

I checked again to see that I was unnoticed and crept so silently, I was sure that there was absolutely no noise coming from me and drifted like a ghost up to the window of the cottage door, and ducked underneath the windowsill.

I was pretty sure that Dad wouldn't be able to read my mind; he would be pretty intent on hearing Charlie.

They had broken the silence while I was concentrating on coming here noiselessly. I started listening to them again.

"- And I swear we would never hurt you, we only hunt animals, not people."

"Who, um, changed you?" asked Charlie, though he clearly didn't _really _mind that she was immortal, I bet he would be pretty angry at whoever had done this to his daughter.

"Edward." Mum whispered in tiny, squeaky voice.

Charlie looked at Dad with a look that clearly said _you will __**pay**__. _Bella gave a small, exasperated sigh.

"And him?" asked Charlie, shifting his gaze from Dad to Mum.

"Carlisle found him dying in the hospital of the Spanish influenza in 1918 at the age of seventeen, his mother had told him to change him so he took him out of the hospital. He found Esme after she…" looked like she was going to give the whole story of our lives.

I started to translate the Declaration of Independence into Catalan, to pass the time.

_Quan en el curs dels esdeveniments humans es fa necessari per a un poble dissoldre els vincles polítics que l'han lligat a un altre i assumir entre els poders de la terra, el lloc separat i igual que les lleis de la naturalesa i del Déu de la Natura dret ells, un respecte decent per les opinions de la humanitat exigeix que declari les causes que l'impulsen a-_

"But the reason we told you about us is important, and it is to do with you," said Mum, capturing my attention immediately, "As you may have guessed, there are others of us, and there is a big coven of vampires, that are extremely powerful," she said, easing him in gently.

"These people lay down laws, a bit like the police, and they have a huge guard, so they are also a bit like royalty, and they are incredibly rich." Said Mum.

"But, what's the problem, then?" said Grandpa, picking up where this was going.

"The problem," said Mum, sighing, "Is that, like I said they lay down laws, and we have broken one. We have had contact with a human." She smiled almost sheepishly at Grandpa.

"But, why is that bad?" asked Grandpa, still seeming non-plussed.

There was a long minute of _very_ awkward silence, and then he got it.

"Oh," he said, looking a bit disgusted for a second, and then pulling himself together.

"RENESMEE CARLIE CULLEN!" an angry voice yelled from the house

Oh no.

As quick as I could I ran back to the house, hoping that I could claim to have been there the whole time, but, they had probably already guessed where I was, from the tone of their voice.

When I got there I saw Alice, looking furious at me.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" she screeched at the top of her voice.

"What, what is it? Are you okay, what's going on?" said a frantic Jacob running down the stairs; Alice paid no attention to him though.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? DO YOU NOT LOVE ME?" cried Alice.

I was quite concerned now, she couldn't be _that_ angry with me, could she?

"Alice, what did I do?" I said.

"LOOK AT THESE!" she sobbed pulling out two white objects.

I burst out laughing when I saw what they were.

They were two, very battered, very muddy high heels.

Both Jacob and I were hysterically rolling on the floor, doubling up even more at Alice's mortified expression.

"Laughing! How can you be laughing! These are innocent shoes here!"

I literal couldn't breathe.

"What's wrong?" said Emmett coming down the stairs, but Jake and I were in no fit state to tell him.

"Alice-yelled-shoes-muddy-can'tstop!" I managed to get out

He stood there just taking in the weirdness of the scene, and shaking his head until I was completely drained of energy after all the laughing.

"Ness, you should really get some sleep," he said pointing his head to the window, when I had finally calmed down.

Wow, It was already dark, had the time really passed that quickly?

"Come on," said Jake "I'll take you."

As he tucked me in and kissed me on my forehead I asked,

"How is the pack?"

"Okay, we've got two new members, Ace and Jayden Denman, they are brothers. Jayden has imprinted, on a girl named Kelly, but there is no big drama, she is twelve, so only a few years younger than him."

I nodded. Jacob's pack had gotten most of the new members; Ashton, Robbie, Florence, Mike and these new two. Sam's pack only had Paul, Jared, Brady – Collin had joined Jacob's – and one called Liam who was causing some trouble, he had a temper that matched Paul! So the fact that Liam and Paul got into a lot of fights wasn't very surprising.

"Love you Jake," I said, yawning.

"Love you more, he said and walked over to the door.

I swear I heard him whisper "more than you know" after he turned out the light.


	8. Chapter 7

I was slightly suspicious of Jacob's behavior recently, and I was still thinking about what he meant 'more than you know' what could it mean!

Dad had always been really picky about Jacob and me being friends, but now he was getting _really _over-cautious, like he didn't want us to get too close, or something bad would happen. But of course, that was ridiculous, Jake wouldn't hurt me, we had been friends since I was born, we had always been together.

That made me wonder. Why had he been my friend in the first place?

All the wolves didn't like the Cullen's back then, and I guessed, though it was odd to think about it, Jacob probably hadn't been either friends or family of them.

So why would he befriend me, of all people, the daughter of a vampire? And why did he like the Cullen's now?

_Maybe it's because of you_, said a tiny voice in the back of my head, but I immediately pushed it aside, there was no way I could have such an impact on him!

Or could I?

I blinked and suddenly realized how tired I was when I found out that it was literally impossible for me to open my eyes again. It felt like there was a bulldozer standing on top of them.

Before I knew it I was drifting off into a deep sleep, thoughts and questions circulating my head.

_I was in a beautiful place, a clearing in the middle of the woods, with twinkle lights all around me. I looked forward and I saw a wedding isle. I wonder who was getting married?_

_I felt someone pulling me forwards, I looked up it was, Billy Black? Odd._

_I was at the end of the aisle and I was facing Jacob._

_I felt great happiness as he took his hand._

_But then I turned around and I saw my Mother and Father staring at me with mortification and shame on their faces._

"_I do," I heard Jacob say. He urged me too do the same._

"_I do," and suddenly Dad jumped up of his chair and grabbed Jacob by the neck!  
"NO! DON'T HURT HIM!" I cried._

_But it was already too late, and I watched in horror as Jacob's eyes closed. _

I woke up with my head pounding and my breathing heavy.

Why would I have had a dream about marrying Jacob? And why would Dad have hurt him in any way?

But the most puzzling question was; why did I feel so happy? Until the end of the dream I had felt such great joy, like it had been something I had been waiting to do.

Jacob was my friend, shouldn't I be creeped out by the thought of him marrying me? Not happy that I was!

However, I felt much too tired to think about anything else, so I cleared everything out of my mind, and went into a hopefully dreamless sleep.

I woke up to the sound of rain pattering loudly against the window, _there's a surprise,_ I thought to myself wryly. Honestly, I'll never know how Mum survived without double-glazed windows in the winter here; she should have frozen to death or something like that.

I heard a small chuckle from the room next door.

I rolled my eyes, there are some pros and cons of having a mind reader for a father, but at least he got my jokes.

I rolled over and got up, and stumbled towards my huge walk in dresser. Sure enough, there was a knew pile of clothes, Alice would never let me wear the same thing twice. I was with her on that one, and also I was still aging quite fast, so after a week or two, the clothes probably wouldn't fit me.

I walked down to the house, following the glorious smell of sizzling bacon.

When I walked in I wasn't surprised to see most of the pack – Seth, Embry, Jacob, Quil, Collin and Robbie. Robbie reminded me strongly of a younger Seth, he was really kind and he was really friendly and accepting of my family and me. But Jacob's entire pack were all good friends with the Cullens now, expect Leah of course.

But she was coming gently around, and she seemed to be coming around. She wasn't openly hostile to me, at least.

"Hey Nessie," said Robbie between mouthfuls. It never ceases to impress me, how they can eat nonstop. I always thought it would be hilarious to enter one of them in a pie-eating contest, and watch the faces of the ten-time winners as they at three at a time, in a split second.

"BACON!" came a loud shout from outside and before we knew it, Ashton Florence and Mike were inside and trying to grab bacon straight from the pan.

"Careful, it's hot!" Esme warned, but we all knew the burns would heal before the Bacon touched their tongue.

"Esme?" I asked, a thought had suddenly occurred to me.

"Yes Dear?" she said, turning to me, while juggling six plates full of bacon rashes for the pack.

"Why did Leah tell the Volturi about us?" I had just been thinking that Leah really _was _getting better recently, so why would she tell them about us?

"She is still upset at Edward and Bella for hurting him, and she said that he can't help what he loves." She said sadly.

"What?" I said, _he can't help what he loves_?

"Oh, nothing," she said, with a hasty smile, "Do you want some bacon?" she was obviously trying to distract me. And I have to say it worked.

"Yes please!" I loved bacon.

As I went out into the pantry to get some toast I heard a whispered conversation between Jake and Seth. That was odd, they never had secrets from anyone, and I had an odd feeling that they had been waiting for me to leave.

"When are you going to tell her?" whispered Seth

"Not now! She's only the size of a ten-year old! We should be the same age at least in physical form, and I bet Edward will want us to be the same age in years as well. And besides, I have no idea how to tell her, and I don't want to take away her options so young." Answered Jacob.

That made _no_ sense! It sounded like they were talking about me, but what could he mean; _take away her options_?

"But, you can't forever, I mean can you really picture her with someone else?" said Seth, sounding sympathetic.

"I suppose," said Jake sounding defeated.

_See me with another guy_?

I suddenly realized that I was supposed to be looking for bread so I searched quickly and grabbed a few slices of _Kingsmill_ and ran into the kitchen.

"Hey Nessie! We were just saying, we think that we're going to go and play baseball in the clearing with the pack, do you want to watch?" asked Emmett, he must have come while I was looking for bread.

"Sure!" I said. I loved watching them play; it was hilarious.

Emmett was like a big bear and he used his brutal strength to try and tackle everything in sight, even though we told you weren't supposed to in baseball.

Rosalie usually watched, as she was scared of either messing up her hair, or chipping a nail.

Alice predicted everyone's moves before hand, so she often did things that were very odd, but would then win the game for her team.

Jasper was constantly trying to make people in the other team tired or make them feel like they wanted the other team to win, and making his team feel energized.

Dad was like a lightening bolt; he sped the way through the entire game. And like Alice, he knew people's moves beforehand, so he was running to where people wanted to hit the ball, or batting where the player who felt the weakest was.

Mum was hopeless and she usually umpired with Esme or fielded very far out. But she did help by trying to shield the others from Edward, Alice and Jasper, making the game much fairer

Carlisle was very funny because he never knew whom he wanted to win, so he ended up giving the other team a huge advantage.

Jacob always hit very hard, and caught well but he was a really bad loser.

Seth was a very good batsman, but his reflexes were really bad, he couldn't field to save his life!

Quill and Embry always worked together, and often fought over who caught the ball, they often tried to jump at the ball at the same time, resulting in a struggle between them.

Ashton and Mike were the only two of the new members that I had seen, and they were pretty funny too. They had their temper under control of course, but they still weren't accustomed to their new speed and strength, even after two years. So they would try and run to first base, and end up at the other end of the clearing, or try and hold the bat tightly, and end up with a handful of splinters.

Once the rest of the family was ready, we headed out the clearing.


	9. Chapter 8

**Sorry to everyone who read this chapter already but I needed to tweak it a bit, so that my idea made more sense.**

**I suggest you read the bits I have changed, cause otherwise the next chapter will make **_**no**_** sense.**

**Thanks!**

**ILoveTwilight.**

8. Games

In the end we thought that it we be best if we waited for nightfall, since that was when the storm would be at it's worst.

So all fifteen of us set of to the clearing, most of us chattering excitedly about the game, but I wasn't paying much attention to everyone else.

I was still wondering about Jacob, it seemed like people were making references more frequently to… well, whatever this 'thing' was with Jacob.

The weather was, well, Forks weather, but it wasn't raining yet so we had the ideal weather for a baseball game; stormy, but dry.

On the way there I heard something, it was probably nothing though, it sounded like a rustling, and it was coming from the edge of the forest.

It was probably just a mouse, or something like that though. Probably.

When we got there we decided the fairest way to divide teams was to have four of us and three members of the pack on each side.

After a while we sorted out teams and one team there was:

Alice, Ashton, Carlisle, Emmett, Florence, Jacob and Jasper

And on the other one there was:

Bella, Edward, Mike, Seth, Robbie and Rosalie

Esme agreed to join Bella's team, but just to make things even.

After much debating we agreed that she should play for half of the game, and Carlisle would do half as well.

I saw Alice sigh, then she looked quite puzzled and her eyebrows went into a slight frown.

"Alice, what's wrong?" asked Esme, seeming to sense her discomfort as well.

"Oh, nothing," she said, then continued on seeing our curiosity "My vision just disappeared."  
"But won't that just be the wolves?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, I suppose, but I have grown sort of, accustomed to them, when there aren't too many, at least."

"Don't worry, there are quite a few here," said Esme, rubbing her back.

"I guess, it just makes me annoyed," said Alice with a sigh.

"Alice! Your up to bat!" called Emmett from the other end of the field.

Alice sped off and grabbed her bat, she would usually be into the game, but she still looked confused.

Mike threw the ball and she hit it right into the forest. Edward was gone for hardly a second, and then he reappeared with the ball in his hand.

"Alice,' called Esme, 'you're out!"

Usually, Alice would have been annoyed, or even upset at this turn of events, but she still seemed preoccupied with her lack of vision.

Emmett was up next, and when Mike pitched the ball, he hit it right into the middle of the dark forest. Rosalie started to run towards the forest, but she came back literally gagging.

"Rose, what is it?" asked Emmett.

"There is a horrible dog smell back their, ughh, it's almost as bad as that dog over there!" she said pointing her head over to Jacob.

"It smelled fresh, around three minutes ago," she continued, still looking at Jake disdainfully.

That was odd, we must have still been here, I couldn't imagine any member of the pack that would stay around while we were here.

But, Rosalie was probably over-egging it a bit, it was no doubt a neighbors dog.

"Probably just a stray from earlier," said Carlisle, the he was still eyeing the trees suspiciously.

Next up was Florence; he was obviously trying to hold the bat as loosely as he could, without losing complete control over it. As it was when he hit the ball it only went about fifty feet away from him, which caused Emmett to give a sort of

muffled laugh, before a stern look from Carlisle silenced him.

I was just puzzling over the scent Rosalie found when suddenly it all made sense.

How could I not have seen it before!

From what I'd heard, and from what Carlisle had researched, this could only be bad; we needed to get out of here now!

I was about to tell the others, but then I heard a rustling from the edge of the forest.

Oh no.

We all froze where we were and turned to face the trees, and it emerged, glorious, magnificent and… terrifying.

I looked up and saw the inevitable above me.

A full moon.


	10. Chapter 9

9. Awake

The huge wolf stood in front of us growling deeply, it's fur was sleek and pitch black.

This was no shape-shifter, it was a were-wolf.

It was obvious if you looked closely. It's legs were muscly and you could see the vein sticking out of it's forehead, it's face was somehow a bit human, it was less animalistic, but that only made it more horrible.

Its eyes were terrifying, they were a bright, almost glowing crimson, like those eyes of a newborn vampire after feeding.

The horrifying beast took a step towards us and immediately Jacob was the furry russet wolf I so loved to stroke, Mike was a grey with a few white streaks, Florence was Black with a bit of brown.

But Robbie seemed too terrified to move, I couldn't say I blamed him.

The monster was had a deep growl building in it's throat. It was clear that this was no friend. It's intent was clear; attack.

Alice ran into Jasper's arms, no longer her boisterous self and cowered there.

Jasper himself looked like he was in great pain; maybe it was the anger or the wildness of the wolf.

Emmett looked determined and took a stride towards the beast, flexing his arm and letting his huge muscles role, but a restraining hand from Rosalie stopped him.

The family had no idea what to do, but the wolves were growling back at the beast, yet still not moving to attack.

Then the monster shifted into a crouch facing Esme, who whimpered and fell back into Carlisle, and immediately the three wolves ran towards this monster, which looked bigger and stronger than them. They began a sort of dance, Jacob ran towards it and it slashed him, right across his face.

He gave out a howl of pain.

I wanted to scream 'no!' but it came out as a small squeak.

Immediately I felt two pairs of hands picking me up, I could recognize Mum and Dads cold grip. They began to lift me away and tried to run, to take me away.

How could they leave their best friends to fight to the death against this monster!

There was another desperate howl.

"Jake!" I cried out in desperation, and there came an almost reassuring whine in response.

Then the huge monster turned its head to face me.

"NO!" shouted Dad, upon hearing the creature's intention.

But it was too late.

I saw a streak of black before I felt horrible pain, the worst pain imaginable, it was like there was a thousand huge knifes made of fire, and pain and despair, that had been sliced across my face.

The last thing I heard was a howl of pain unimaginable, even to me.

I could here hushed, anxious voices near me.

"Jake, she'll be alright." Said my mother in a soothing tone.

"But how can you be sure? You can't know that! She might get infected! She must be hurting so much! You really can't do anything else for her, doc?" said Jake sounding panicked.

I wanted to say "don't worry, I'll be fine!" to him, it hurt to hear him so upset.

But it also hurt on my face and I predicted agony whenever I considered opening, my eyes.

"I'm sure she will be Ok," said Mum, then added in a worried tone, "Right Carlisle?"

"Well, it is beginning to be covered with epithelial tissue, so within two weeks, minimal collagen will be deposited and hopefully no scar will form. But, there may be a small Hypertrophic scar, which occurs when the body overproduces collagen, or an Atrophic scar, which is a sunken recess in the skin. But these will probably only take a few days, if they even occur, due to the venom in her system. The Cicatrisation should hardly take three or four hours. Epithelialization should have began a few minutes ago, which is good."

There was a long period of silence.

"Ok," said Carlisle with a sigh "It is healing fast, and she probably won't have a scar." He dumbed it down.

There was a small sigh of understanding

"But she has been unconscious for three hours," said Jake, and his voice wobbled on the "three".

I could no longer stand his pain; it felt like a hole in my stomach.

I opened my eyes - ignoring the searing pain - and saw a dark ceiling above me but after a few seconds I couldn't find the strength to keep them focused.

"Nessie?" gasped Jacob and Dad, followed by a "Renesmee?" from Mum.

I wanted to say "I'm Ok" but all that came out was a garbled sigh.

"She says she's OK," said Dad, translating my thoughts.

There was an annoyed sound from Mum and she then said; "Now I know why you found it annoying."

There was a small chuckle from Dad but it was quite short, he must be worried about me.

I felt exhausted, my head was pounding.

"Sleep," I heard Dad say, and immediately I did

After three days my mark had completely faded, and I was feeling much better.

My eye was still a bit swollen, and it hurt in the morning when I opened my eyes. Mike had got a mark on his arm but it had healed within a day, and Florence had not a scratch on him.

However, Robbie had broken both of his leg, because he had been too terrified to phase and protect himself, and he had broken it pretty badly. He could just get out of his wheelchair – that Carlisle had borrowed from the hospital – and take a few stumbled steps, but it caused him pain.

The good news was, they should be healed in a few days.

Our huge concern now was the Voltouri.

What would we do when they got here?

We had decided that we couldn't ask our friends to come this time; they had already done so much for us.

Mum had already told me not to worry, and Jasper calmed me down when I was near, but it was at night that it was worse.

I was constantly plagued by nightmares when I was asleep, and in my waking hours, I was worrying constantly.

My head buzzed, and I was starting to feel a bit sick. I just wanted to know that we had some sort of plan!

Trying to distract myself I asked a seemingly less important question.

"Dad, why was the were-wolf her?" it seemed strange that one would even be alive, let alone be found near a settling of vampires, and wolves.

"From his thoughts – which were pretty hard to read, as they are wild when they are in animal form – he was sent by the Voltouri. I don't know whether this was a trick performed by another person, so that we don't think of us having another enemy, or whether it was true. But, I suspect the latter, as it must be very hard to control your thoughts."

The Voltouri? But I thought they hated were-wolves, they had nearly killed the pack because they suspected them of being even slightly similar to their enemies.

And Caius had showed complete disgust, but now they were working in harmony?

I doubted it.

"I know," said Dad following the direction of my thoughts "The Voltouri never control any of their, um, natural instincts."

I gulped at this; Mum had told me that the Voltouri were using their "Natural Food Source".

"Oh that reminds me," said Dad, and I gave at a small chuckle, as if a vampire needed reminding, " Bella, Esme and Alice are going to go hunting in half an hour, do you want to go?"

I merely thought my obvious answer, _YES,_ now that he mentioned it; my throat was like a desert. I didn't need blood as much as the rest of my family, I tried to stick to human food, but I hadn't hunted in at least a month.

"You better go and get ready, Alice went on _another_ shopping spree this week, so you now have thirty-two raincoats, and mackintoshes to use up." He said, smiling and shaking his head at his fashion-obsessed sister.

I speeded back to my room where, sure enough, there was a huge pile of clothes.

I picked one that looked plain, and beautiful. It was a lovely shade of pale grey.

It had six double-buttons in a shade of very pale, creamy brown.

It had a white strap around the middle, which matched the collar. The buckle was a gold color, wait; it can't be _real_ gold can it?

I read the nametag, it said _Balenciaga. _What? The price tag made me gasp. 1350 dollars?

I gave a sigh. You can never reign in Alice!

I met them at the house wearing the monstrosity that Alice considered a reasonable raincoat. Though, I had to admit that I thought it looked pretty.

"Do you like it? I had Cristobal personally add the gold!" Alice squealed, obviously exited to see me wearing the newly bought coat, and wrapped me in a tight hug.

Mum and me shared exasperated looks.

"Yeah, it's great," I said once she had released me, and tried an enthusiastic smile. But, it must have come across as a sort of grimace because mum gave a snicker, causing Alice to roll her eyes.

"Come on, let's go," said Mum and we just started to move towards the door, when we heard a car on the driveway.

We had a visitor.


	11. Chapter 10

10. Visitor

The engine of the car stopped and I heard four car doors slam shut.

Dad obviously knew who it was by now, but whoever it was – if they were an immortal, which was most likely – would hear him.

We heard four pairs of feet walk up to the door, and I recognized the scent, I wasn't sure who it was though.

The others seemed to recognize it too, and they were smiling, which I took as a goo sign

Carlisle went to open the door, and greet whomever it was.

When I saw who it was, I was engulfed in both joy and relief, but also great sadness.

Tanya stepped into the house, and I was stunned by how much she had changed.

Her once buoyant face and cheerful expression was now solemn and blank. The fire in her golden eyes had burned out, and they were pitch black.

There were huge circles under her eyes, she must be really thirsty.

Her previously bouncy strawberry curls now lay flat and dark.

She wore a long dress that was pitch black, and she had a silver locket around her neck.

"Carlisle," She said and her voice was hoarse, and barely a whisper.

Garrett followed looking somber.

I could not believe how much he had changed!

His once crouching position had changed to an upright stance, and his once jerky movements had changed to a graceful dancer's step.

His once ruby red eyes were a soft gold, and his once wild long sandy-blonde hair was now cropped short and sleek.

Overall, he looked much more human.

But he showed grief beyond everything that his adopted sisters showed.

I could literally feel his pain. What could have happened to him, to make him show this sort of suffering.

I saw Jasper frowning, so obviously he didn't know why he was so desperate.

It was like he was in mourning, but not in the way his sisters were. Like he was waiting for his beloved to die.

In came Carmen, who also wearing black, and wore a sort of black scarf-veil that went over her sleek dark brown hair.

There was still a light in her eyes, unlike her sisters. But rather than being put out, it looked like it was slowly dying.

Eleazer wore an odd long black cloak-coat, and black trousers.

He also positioned himself almost protectively around Carmen and looked like he was ready to take her and run.

I don't' know why, but I felt like there was something missing

"Tanya, it is good to see you," said Carlisle softly.

"We heard you were in trouble with," Tanya hesitated, "them," her voice dropped to a whisper on the last word.

"we have a lot to explain," said Carlisle, "sit down, I'll tell you."

Somehow, we all managed to fit into the living room. I did have to be squeezed between Mum and Dad quite tightly.

"Where is Kate?" asked Carlisle. That was when I realized that the third Denali sister was not with us.

Tanya and Carmen looked very upset at the mention of their sister, and Tanya looked like if she could be crying she would be.

"I'm sorry," said Carlisle quickly, looking anxious at their reactions.

"She joined them," said Tanya, between shakes caused by sobs that didn't exist.

She joined _them_? Who was _them_?

I gasped, along with the rest of the room when I realized what had happened.

Kate had joined the Volturi.

No! how could she do this to us! To her sisters!

Why on earth had she joined the people who had killed her sister, her mother and her young brother!

None of it made sense. Had she adopted their hunting abilities as well? Had Chelsea tied her to the Volturi, and made her want to leave her family?

But, Eleazer had said that because we refrained from human blood, our bonds were stronger, that we couldn't have been manipulated.

I felt immediately so sorry for Kate, Carmen, Garrett and Eleazer.

How was it fair that so shortly after losing one sister, they had lost another.

I think that was why they still wore black.

It wasn't that they were morning just for one sister, they were mourning for two.

Because that was exactly what it must have been like, when she left. No longer herself, and lifeless. The Volturi will have changed her so much, unless…

What if she hadn't wanted to go? Maybe she had been forced her to join them!

That was not a comfort exactly, but more like an improvement to the situation.

It meant that she still loved her family, and that she might not have been morphed into the sort of person Jane was.

Whenever I saw her, it was like seeing a cold uncaring façade. I remembered the lyrics to that song…

_There's a face that we wear_

_In the cold light of day -_

_It's society's mask,_

_It's society's way,_

_And the truth is_

_That it's all a façade!_

_There's a face that we hide_

_Till the nighttime appears,_

_And what's hiding inside,_

_Behind all of our fears,_

_Is our true self,_

_Locked inside the façade!_

I found it hard to believes that Jane, or any member of the guard would have any fears, or anything inside them except cold, hard hate.

We couldn't allow Kate to stay with the Volturi.

_I _couldn't.

I suddenly realized that while I had been thinking deeply, the others had started a conversation.

"Why?" asked Carlisle, concern on his face.

"They they," said Tanya, but she appeared too upset to get out the words.

Esme walked over and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

Eleazer continued for her, "They sent us a letter," he brought out a small piece of paper from his cloak.

It read:

_Dear Friends,_

_Initially I believed you to be innocent on your involvement of creating an immortal child, however, as of late, new information has come to light. So I now regret to inform you that you have here been found guilty, you need to report to Volterra within three days, and no later._

_I assume you understand the consequences to follow if this summon is not taken seriously._

_Warmest Regards,_

_Aro_

So suddenly they were guilty? After four hundred years? _Really?_

"We were scared," said Eleazer "so," he paused "we stayed here, and acted like we hadn't received the letter. Of course we knew it would never work but she refused to go." It was obvious he was talking about Kate.

"So… they came to us." He said, looking almost ashamed at their stubbornness.

There were gasps of "no" from all around the room.

"They planned to execute us right then!" he said looking quite intense.

"But she said that she would exchange," he said and there was a sad note to his voice and his eyes.

Garrett gave a low moan.

"Exchange?" asked Carlisle, who seemed very eager for more information.

But he merely looked down at the floor and shook his head.

Oh.

She exchanged herself for her family's safety?

No. Surely not. She couldn't have.

But then I remembered Aro's words before he left.

He had asked if Zafrina, Kate, Alice and Dad– for the thousandth time.

So that was why… he wanted her talent, and he would save lives just to have one more mindless guard.

I have to say, I was shocked.

Not only at what had happened, but the fact that she would sacrifice herself for her family. Of course, I imagine any of us would do the same, I certainly would. But I never really pictured Kate as a warm person.

Of course, none of us were really _warm_, but in the friendly sense.

She was lovely, and all that, but she didn't really seem as open to me as the rest of her family. And whatever caution I felt to her was only increased when she tried to use her powers against me. I had said that I wanted to help, and I did, but I still was nervous. I had seen the effect that she had had on other immortals, and since I wasn't a proper vampire because I grew, I took that to mean that I wasn't as strong as them either.

I don't really know why I'm "special ' as Mummy put it, but I definitely wasn't a full vampire.

"She exchanged her self," whispered Esme, looking shocked and Tanya began to shake violently.

"Yes," whispered Eleazer, burying his head in Carmen's hair, "They agreed, well, Caius didn't and Marcus appeared to be indifferent. But eventually he 'agreed'." He said, and I could here the air quotes as he said the last word.

But of course, there was no way Caius would agree to anything to do with preserving lives, especially not when Aro, when he had let my family go away unharmed.

Apparently, when he was staying in Volterra, Caius had wanted him to leave, because of his giving of mercy and respect for human life, also for his… how did they say it? Oh, his "Aversion To His Natural Food Source".

"I'm so sorry," said Carlisle, looking truly compassionate.

"Yeah," he said looking sad.

"Why did you come," said Emmett slightly insensitively, he was shot a reproving glance from Esme.

"We came to help you," said Eleazer, looking slightly puzzled, as if this was obvious.

"But-" said Carlisle, but Carmen, who was speaking for the first time, interrupted him. She shocked me by adding a warm smile to her words.

"What are families for?"

**I hope you like this chapter, and PLEASE leave a review so that I know if you like it or not! Also, first two people who leave a review, if you give me some details I will base a character on you!**

**Please R&R,**

**ILoveTwilight**


	12. Chapter 11

11. Decisions

Over the next few days we thought about all the possibilities. How could we be proved innocent when we weren't?

The only solution was to make Charlie immortal, and Mum refused to even think about changing him. I personally wasn't completely against it, but that was because of the alternative. It was much too risky. Carlisle had told me that if you were changed over fifty, chances are it won't work. I don't know what would happen to mum if he died, but it wouldn't be good.

Even if he was immortal, it might not make a difference anyway. But, it might be easier to avoid a fight if we were innocent.

So we had no way to avoid whatever would happen to us.

Emmett wasn't opposed to – even hoping for – a fight. Though the rest of us – including me – wished for some sort of miracle to happen, and for them to decide not to come.

But we all knew that unless we came up with some sort of alternative, we knew that we would end up in a fight.

Who knows? Maybe it would be the downfall of them, but maybe it would end in the destruction of my family. That was why I wasn't against Charlie being changed, because if I lost any of my family, I couldn't imagine my grief.

The Denali's were a bit shocked to hear that we had told Grandpa about us, but they understood that it wouldn't have made a difference anyway, it was probably going to have been a confrontation anyway, us being innocent wouldn't have lessened the seriousness of our sentence.

Of course, Jacob's pack would be on our side, and Sam's pack wouldn't really have a choice, just like the last time. But we might lose a member of either pack. I had the strangest feeling when I thought of that possibility, like there was a pull bringing me in the direction of the door. Like that pull was brining me closer to some sort of safeguard.

Jacob entered through the door, and when he came towards me and wrapped me in a hug I felt that odd pull disappear. Strange.

I thought I saw Dad frown out of the corner of my eye, but then it was gone and he looked thoughtful.

"Alice?" said Mum, and I turned to see Alice with her eyes glazed over and a horrified look on her face.

I had only seen that expression once before.

"When?" asked Carlisle, and his tone was flat and emotionless, but his expression was grave, like he was preparing himself for the worst news.

Alice zoned back to us and said, "It is very sunny, almost unnaturally bright" then her eyes went blank again "There should be a weather forecast for that in a week,"

She said, and gasps came from all around the room.

A _week_! NO! We hadn't got a plan, or a reason for us not to be put to death! We hadn't even started to prepare for a now inevitable fight. There was no solution now, no escape. I don't know why, but I hadn't been in complete panic mode until now. I had a not really felt as urgent as I should have, it was something we would have to solve, but far away in the future, not really scary because we had time to work it out.

"Charlie is coming," said Alice, seconds before we heard the purr of the police cruiser's engine.

I realized that this was the first time that any of us had seen him since we had told him what we were.

"Hi Dad," said Mum opening the door to reveal Charlie with his hand outstretched as if to knock on the door. He looked taken by surprise, then shook his head and stepped in.

"Charlie, you remember me telling you about our cousins," said Mum, pointing over to Tanya, Carmen, Garrett and Eleazer, who stood there looking a bit awkward. Charlie walked over and shook each of their hands and attempted a smile, but it came out as a pained grimace. Emmett snickered from the corner earning a reproving glance from Mum, which only caused him to laugh harder.

"Um, I'm afraid we have some bad news," said Mum looking at the ground.

"What?" growled Charlie and he through a look at Dad.

There was another snicker from Emmett but it turned into a whine of "Hey!" I turned my gaze to a smug looking Rosalie, and saw that Emmett was hopping on one foot. Good.

Esme through a warning glance at both of them.

"We have a week," said Carlisle. Charlie seemed to know what he meant because his expression turned to one of dread and horror.

"What is the plan?" he asked, most of us shifted uncomfortably, "there isn't one is there?" he asked, and was answered by a group of shaking heads.

"Is there anything that _I _can do?" he asked.

A thought occurred to me, I looked at Dad to see whether he approved. After awhile he gave a tiny nod.

"Actually," I said, gaining curious gazes from my family "there is something you can do," I said, and thought that Dad should continue.

"You see," he said, and Mum looked at him questioningly, "you see, you could solve this, and make it easier," Mum obviously grasped what was coming, she whispered "no."

Charlie ignored her and said, "yes?" seeming eager to help in any way he could.

"You must remember that this is completely your choice," he said, "it would improve the odds of there being no fight," Charlie's eyes widened at the mention of a fight.

"You of course wouldn't be able to fight with us," said Dad, and Charlie's eyes widened. I think he had worked out what he was getting at.

Dad's actual expression didn't change, but there was hope in his eyes.

Charlie agreed.

"No," whispered Mum, obviously noticing the difference to Dad's expression, and coming to the same conclusion that I had.

"Bella," said Dad, turning to Mum with a meaningful expression on his face, "can I talk to you for a second?" he said inclining his head towards the door.

She looked like she was about to say something, but then just nodded and followed Edward out the door.

There was a long few minutes of complete silence, in which Charlie seemed deep in thought. I tried to listen to Bella and Edward's conversation outside, which was hard as they were quite a while away from the house.

I could hear their voices, but I couldn't pick out any words, just a melodic buzz

I moved closer to the window, and I could hear the conversation.

"I really don't want to take any risk," said Bella, sounding anxious and distressed.

"I won't do anything you don't want me to," said Edward, he sounded sincere, but there was a lack of closure in his voice.

"But," said Bella with a resigned sigh.

"I think we should, I heard his thoughts. He wants to help in any way he can, and I don't think that anything I said would have stopped him," he said.

There was a long pause.

"Ok," whispered Bella.

"What?" said Edward, he sounded shocked. I was too.

"I trust you," she said sounding completely sincere.

O… Kay?" said Edward sounding a bit flustered.

They walked back to the house, and Edward still had that odd look on his face. "Jacob?" called Mum.

"Yes," he said, turning away from the piece of wall he had been watching.

"Will you take Renesmee back to the house, it's nearly her bedtime." She said. Already? Wow, time really fly's when you aren't having fun.

I woke up for about the tenth time that night.

I rolled over and groaned when I saw the time, my alarm clock blared 12:30.

I heard the thumping of a door against its frame, and two light pairs of feet walking over the threshold, followed by a heavy footstep.

"Look, I just want to know when," I recognized Jacob's voice.

"Not know," growled Dad, and his voice had both warning and anger in it.

"I know," said Jake, backtracking quickly, "But I need to know, sooner or later she's going to know that something is up, and I just think I should tell her before she figures it out herself." He said quickly.

"I don't want her to find out yet," said Dad, "she has to be sixteen at least, not _four_!" he shouted.

"Edward," said Bella, and Dad gave out a sigh.

"I am sorry Jacob that was wrong of me," he said, sounding curt, "I think that you should go now," he said, somewhat impolitely.

I thought I heard Jacob whisper "stupid blood-sucker" under his breath as he slammed the door.


	13. Chapter 12

12. Training

It had been one day since Charlie had visited us.

We had let him have two days to say goodbye to everyone, and set his affairs in order.

Today we had start training.

Now that we had decided that a fight was inescapable, and though it was probably pointless to try, we were going to prepare us in any way we could for the fight.

Of course, I wasn't allowed to join in, but I was watching, as there was nothing else to do. I didn't know what would happen to me while the fight went on, but I had a feeling that I wouldn't be allowed to sit on the sidelines and watch.

The members of Jacob's pack were also practicing, and I felt concerned in an odd way whenever I saw Jake get pushed aside or tackled by Dad or Mum. I felt concerned for Mum because Jacob seemed so indestructible with his shaggy tan coat blowing in the wind, and his huge, razor-sharp fangs bared.

But I was even more concerned for him. Bella looked completely hard and cold, that she could almost be a moving marble statue. Her face was almost terrifying to me. It was amazing how in one second, she could go from the kind, caring motherly person I loved, to a hunter, a predator.

Their movements were impossible to see, just streaks of color. They moved in synchronization, and that made it look like a sick, sped up dance.

Sam's pack had already been told that the Volturi were coming back, and they were going to fight against them, but only to protect the people of Forks.

He had insisted that they should train by themselves, but apparently that was not all of the pack's view. I could vaguely see the outline of Jared and Collin quite a way away, watching the technique.

The good news was that most of the people here had already been a fight in some form, so they at least had some experience. But the newest members, Ace and Jayden, had no experience, and there was absolutely no way that they could practice with my family, their self-control was terrible as they were only a few days old. At least they were more in control than Liam, who had joined Sam's pack.

The other members of the pack, including Jacob and Seth were quite happy to practice. Thinking about Seth got me wondering about Leah. I hadn't seen her in a week, and she wasn't turning up to even watch us prepare for the fight.

I wonder if she felt guilty for endangering my family, but that was ridiculous, she had gone all the way to Italy to destroy my family. I still couldn't think about any incentive she might have to do such a horrible thing, the word horrible couldn't begin to cover it.

I used to feel sorry for Leah, even though she and I weren't exactly the best of friends, she always seemed so sad. But, that had all changed now.

I wondered if she would fight with us, or whether she would just stay away on the day of the fight.

What if she fought _against _us?

That thought brought up a terrible thought in my head, which made me feel sick with fear.

The were-wolf that we had encountered had been working for the Volturi, hadn't it, so surely they had more than the one.

Well, couldn't the other ones fight too?

Three wolves had barely been able to take down one were-wolf! We had no chance of wining if they were joined by as many as only two were-wolves!

Emmett nearly missing me as Jacob neatly dodged his lunge pulled me out of my horrific thoughts.

"Sorry," he said, and if he could have blushed, I bet he would have.

He narrowed his eyes at Jake who burst out laughing, and Emmett, not being able to help it, smiled too.

I was still watching the training, when a conversation between Edward and Bella caught my attention.

"Bella…" said Edward for about the one-thousandth time today.

I groaned, they had been doing this all day.

"Look, he's my _father_," she also said and their was desperation in her voice, "I will be able to control myself," she said.

"But-" began Edward but Bella cut him off.

"I _will_ be able to," she said, and her voice was obstinate.

"I just-" He held up his finger to Bella who showed every sign of interrupting him, "Let me finish," he said, and she closed her mouth, which molded into a frown.

"I just don't want you to lose him," he said gently, "just think about how hard that would be," he said, and her expression showed deep thought, "imagine how hard that would be!"

She looked like she was going to give in but then she shook her head.

"Edward, I know I can do this," she said, "I want to be the one." She folded her arms.

"Bella, you are only a few years old, you should let Carlisle do it," he said, still resisting.

"I have got used to him, as you said, for quite a few years, you changed me after barely two years and I was your singer." Singer? What did that mean? Dad changed her? So he knew her while she was human?

She showed no sign of giving in, and Edward gave in with a sigh

"Fine," he groaned, and she smiled.

"Good."

Later that day most of the pack – Robbie, Mike, Florence, Jacob and Seth - came over for dinner.

I had no idea how Esme managed to cook for them, as they all ate around ten times the normal amount of a full-grown man. The family had gone hunting.

I was still puzzling over what the argument between Jacob and Edward had been fighting about last night. It must have been pretty serious; I had never heard Dad that angry before.

"Sooner or later she's going to know that something is up," he had said. Did that mean that he new that I was getting suspicious? Of course not, the only person who could feel other people's emotions was jasper. Well, him and the were-wolves that had imprinted.

Wait…

Jacob couldn't have imprinted on _me _could he?

Of course not! I almost laughed at my stupidity, there was _no way_ he could have imprinted on me.

I would know, it would be obvious if he had.

But then I recollected various things that my family had said recently.

_He can't help what he loves._

_I don't want to take away her options so young._

_Can you really picture her with someone else?_

_I love you more, __more than you know._

I remembered that odd pull that I had felt bringing me towards the door. The door that Jacob came through seconds later.

I shook my head, trying unsuccessfully to clear it.

"What's the matter Nessie?" asked Jake sounding much, much too concerned than he should have.

"Oh, nothing,' I said, trying to sound off hand. But, he still looked agitated.

_It's because he knows how you feel, _whispered a tiny voice inside my head, but it ignored it. _Don't pretend that you don't think it too,_ said the voice. I still ignored it.

_Why do you think he made friends with you in the first place, the daughter of a vampire? _No, he's your friend. _You love him._

"NO I DON'T!" I roared.

Everyone was staring at me, looking completely shocked. I saw Florence do the awkward turtle under the table.

"Nessie!" Jacob's frantic voice broke the incredibly - as Florence had so rightly put it - awkward silence.

"I'm fine," I lied, blushing. _Way to go, _I thought to myself, _you're having arguments with yourself_, no I'm not!

There I go again!

Maybe it was because part of me wanted to embrace the imprint, – if he had imprinted on me – and part of me wanted to deny it completely.

Part of me asked who else I could ever love, and part of me completely shuddered at the thought of falling in love with the person who had know me since my birth!

What could me being his imprint mean?

No, he's not in love with me! He's like my brother!

I remembered what Jake had said when he explained about imprinting to me; _you can be anything she needs, whether that's a lover, a friend, a protector or a _brother.

Would it really be that bad? I mean, it isn't like a death sentence; I don't even have to be in love with him! Then I shuddered at the thought of how Dad or Mum would react when they found out I knew.

_So you agree that he imprinted?_ Said the sly voice at the back of my head.

And so, all throughout dinner I was warring with myself, going back and forth, and back and forth through the same thought, never coming to a conclusion.

When I ate I couldn't even taste my food, as I was so engulfed in my thoughts.

I barely noticed when the pack started to leave.

"Bye Nessie!" I jumped up in the air at this sudden noise.

"Sorry," I said to Robbie for the second time that night.

He shook his head and smiled, following all of the pack out of the house. All except Jacob, of course.

"Nessie, what's wrong?" asked Jake, sounding so concerned I felt sorry for him, "You've were acting really odd all through dinner, it doesn't exactly take a genius to work out that something is bothering you."

I sighed, I never liked to lie to him, but I couldn't tell him hat was going through my mind.

"I'm just worried about the fight," I said. That would be a good enough reason for anybody.

For a second his face showed understanding, concern and pity, but them his eyes narrowed slightly

I prayed that he would not know that I was lying, but it must have been clear on my face.

"Nessie, you can always tell me," he said.

"No, no," I said trying to look innocent, "that's why. It just makes me nervous."

He frowned and gave a sad smile.

I don't know why, but I felt like I had let him down by not confiding in him, not trusting him. He had a face that reminded me of a sad puppy, which was actually not that far off from the truth.

He turned and put his hand on the doorknob.

"Jacob, wait!" I called out.

"Yes?" he said.

Then I did one of the stupidest things I could have done.

"Have you imprinted on me?"


	14. Chapter 13

13. Imprint

There was a very long silence.

Why on earth had I said that! Why couldn't I have just kept my stupid mouth shut! Now nothing would ever be the same between us, and I had been the one to ruin our relationship.

What if I was wrong? He would be angry, and he would feel insulted.

I needed him to speak, to break the silence.

After what seemed like a billion years, Jacob spoke.

"Yes," he whispered.

The phrase 'Be careful what you wish for,' popped into my head. Him speaking hadn't made it any better; it had made it even more awkward.

"I'm so sorry." We both said at the same time.

What had he got to be sorry about? He couldn't have controlled what had happened, and I had been the one to bring it up.

The silence lived on.

"I _am_ sorry," I said, and I meant it.

"You shouldn't be, I'm the one who made this mess," he said. I don't know why, but those words hurt me. I didn't want to think of our relationship – whatever it was now – as a mess.

I was suddenly almost grateful for the imprint. If he had never imprinted, we would never have been friends.

I realized at that moment that I couldn't imagine my life if Jacob wasn't in it.

"Don't be sorry," I said, and he almost looked angry.

"No," he said and there was pain and self-hate in his words, "why did I do this? _How_ could I have done this?" he was looking angry now, not at me but himself. He had started shaking violently now.

"Don't," I said, and the truth was, for the first time in my life, I felt truly scared of Jacob.

His face twisted, this was really getting out of hand.

"Why am I so stupid? I put us in this mess," his frame was quivering.

"Jake," I said, I tried to make my voice steady.

"I can't think," he said, and tears ran down his face, 'I don't…"

I needed to tell him that I wasn't scared, that I understood and that I wasn't angry with him. I just couldn't find the words. I had to comfort him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"_YOU'RE _SORRY?" he screamed.

His body started to convulse and suddenly he had four legs.

He launched himself at me, snarling. I felt a burning across my leg. I was almost blinded by the pain.

"Renesmee!" I heard my mother's voice, and I could hear seven sets of legs coming towards us.

I felt relief washing through me, but then fear. What would they do when they found out I knew? Would they fight? No, it wasn't Jacob's fault, I had asked and I had figured it out.

Jake turned his shaggy head to face them; he let out a snarl that was echoed by Dad.

"No!" I shouted, but they paid no attention to me.

"You stupid dog! What," he crouched, "Have," he tensed to spring, "You," he flew towards him, "Done!" there was a huge howl of pain as Dad sunk his nails into his back.

Jake threw Dad of his back and he went crashing through the window.

"DAD! JAKE! STOOOPPPP!" I cried.

Mum picked me up and tried to get me out of there, but I wouldn't' let her. I kicked and cried and I didn't know what to do.

I had no idea whose side I was on, but right now I could see that Jacob was losing. "Stop! Don't hurt him," I could barely make out what was happening through my tears.

I could feel Jacob's pain like it was my own. Pain at hurting me, pain from my Dad, pain from his own self-loathing. But most of all I could feel a sort of wildness, that made these other emotions seem fainter.

I could vaguely see the outline of a wolf getting nearer, nearer and nearer.

Then everything went black.


	15. Chapter 14

14. Sorry

It felt like I was floating, up, up, up into nothingness. There was no pain here, in this place. It was dark, black.

Suddenly there was gravity, and I was brought back to earth. There was pain, too much pain. I could see little fireworks and lights popping in and out of existence. I felt a searing pain on my face, and across my leg.

I didn't want to be here, I wanted the comfort of nothingness again, reality is much, much harder. As the pain increased, I let out a moan.

"Nessie?" came a beautiful melodic whisper, Dad.

"Yes." I tried to say, but my aching throat made it sound crackly.

"Renesmee!" Came my mother's voice, she sounded worried. I felt the need to comfort her.

"Mu…" I managed to get out.

I couldn't remember what had happened. I could vaguely remember Jacob shouting? No, he had been crying.

In a rush the whole night came back to me. I had asked about the imprint, -Dad game a small hiss at this – I had seen Jacob phase, he had hurt my leg. I let out another moan when I remembered the fight.

But it was blurry somehow, out of focus and hazy.

"Honey? What is it?" asked Mum frantically.

I cleared my throat. Ow.

"I'm Ok," I said, but my tone of voice suggested something else.

I tried to straiten up, but my leg seared with a pain that burned like fire.

"What happened to my leg?" I asked, I couldn't place what had happened.

"That mutt," said Dad, his voice sounding hateful and angry, "he _bit_ you! I swear if he ever lays a hand on you again he will _pay_." Dad was trembling with rage, but I hand placed on his arm by Mum calmed him down.

"We banged your head trying you to get away from him." She continued.

I tried to move my head.

Ow.

"Where is he?" I needed to apologize.

They exchanged a meaningful glance.

"Is he OK?" I asked. What if he had got hurt during the fight? What if he hadn't healed yet?

"I'll go get him," said Mum. Dad shot her a restraining glance, but she shook her head, then she motioned with her hand for Dad to follow.

I lay there wondering what to do.

This meeting was sure to be awkward, but now all I really cared about was knowing that he was safe. What if he _had _got hurt, and it all my entire fault? Merely thinking about that was painful.

I don't think I could live much longer, not knowing if he was ok, or whether my stupid rashness had resulted in him being injured.

There was now way to predict how this meeting would go, I prayed that he would be all right, and he had got over his phase. I really didn't want him to feel like he was in someway responsible for what had happened, there was no way he could have controlled it.

After about ten minutes of silence, the door opened slowly, to reveal Jacob.

"Jake!" I gasped.

_Wow_.

He looked a mess! His hair was knotted and scruffy. His already battered looking jeans were filthy. He had huge black bags under his eyes.

And his _eyes_. They were empty, soulless and unfathomable. Like somebody had sucked the life out of him.

His face was pained beyond belief. There was an ancient sadness displayed on his face, and his eyes were puffy, they looked like he was crying. What happened? "Are you Ok?" he croaked. His voice was hoarse, and it sounded like he hadn't talked in days.

"What happened?" I gasped.

"I'm so, so, so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you at all. I'm sorry. Is there any way you could possibly forgive me? I'm not expecting you to forgive me immediately, but maybe ove-"

"Jake, stop." I said, trying to cut of his frantic pleading.

"I know," he whispered, "I completely messed this up, there was no way you could ever forgive me." He looked so despondent that it made me feel like I wanted to cry. His eyes were no longer blank, they showed the kind of emotion you might see in a man who has just been sentenced to death.

"No!" I said, how could he think I hated him? "You don't need to feel guilty at all! I'm fine, it wasn't your fault. I was so thoughtless to bring it up; I didn't think it through at all. It wasn't your fault. It was my fault. _I'm _sorry." I said, he looked like he was going to continue, but I silenced him with s finger, "And I don't want to hear that you are sorry."

There was a silence.

"You do know what this means though," he said, still looking anxious, "you don't _have _to be with me. I can be your-"

"Lover, Friend, Brother or a Protector." I finished for him, smiling.

After a while of him looking uneasy, he finally returned it.

"You don't need to think about it," he said, almost looking happy that I had accepted his apology.

"I know," I said.

He crossed the room and wrapped me in a tight hug.

After a while, he was begging to crush me, so I tried to break away from his clasp, but that only made him squeeze tighter.

"Jake-Can't Breathe!" I choked out.

"Oh," he said, smiling sheepishly, "Sorry."

He released me and I gasped, pulling in fresh lungful's of air.

"You need to lie down," said Jake, both looking and sounding concerned.

Now that he brought it up, sleepiness hit me in a tidal wave, practically knocking me out.

"Don't worry," he said, "You should sleep."

I couldn't be sure because I was halfway asleep, but I when I heard him say 'I love you' like he always did, it suddenly felt like it had much, much more meaning.

I heard the purr of a car coming up the drive.

Charlie was here.

**Hope you like this chapter!**

**By the way, I released some trailers for this FanFic on YouTube, please watch them!**

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	16. Chapter 15

15. Bites and Howls

I heard the door open and close, and I vaguely felt a cold breeze coming through the door. I strained my ears to hear what they said, but I could only pick out a gentle murmur, if I hadn't heard both of their voices before, I might say that it was simply a gentle breeze, making it's infinite path through the forest.

I was listening so hard to their conversation that I jumped up in the air when I heard Dad calling me.

"Renesmee!" Wow, he sounded furious.

I had half a mind to pretend I didn't hear him, but he would know.

With a sigh I got off my bed, and staggered. Head rush.

I hesitantly came down the stairs, trying to buy as much time as I could.

I located his voice to outside near the porch.

I was shocked at the sight that awaited me.

Dad was glaring at Jacob, fury on his face. Jacob had a mixed expression. He looked both scared, angry and did he look apologetic?

There was a very tense atmosphere around them.

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen!" said Dad, turning to face me. Why did he middle name me? "What exactly did Jacob tell you last night?"

Oh, he knew.

"Um…" I said, trying to come up with some sort of answer that wouldn't make him angrier.

"Well?" he said.

I opened my mouth to say god-knows-what, but I was cut off by a howl from nearby. For a second I was glad at this interruption, but then I realized that something was wrong.

Another, and another, and another followed it, until the air was full of baying.

The most horrible sound followed.

The great wolf's howl crackled through my eardrums and ruffled my hair, the shrill wail pierced through the morning.

This was the most feral, horrible and terrifying sound that I had ever heard.

It was different from the other, usual, almost playful howls I have grown to expect from the pack. This was aggressive, and so piercing it hurt my ears.

It was close.

Panic washed through me, and I felt a sick knot form in my stomach.

I looked over to the edge of the forest, and my eyes met a large black mass of fur and muscle with eyes of pure ice. The hairs on my neck stood on end as it raised its head and gave another low holler made my body shake.

All of the dawn echoed with the call this massive beast as I stumbled back, and fell into the warm, comforting arms of Jake. My body shook with fear as I looked up at the monster, and it slowly began to edge towards us.

As the behemoth stepped out of the shadowy forest I recognized it.

It was the were-wolf from the game.

Behind this monster, figures I vaguely recognized as Seth, Robbie, Mike, Florence, Quil, Embry and Florence followed.

Hands that I recognized as Dad's snatched me from Jacob's warmth. He picked me up and edged back, snarling.

At the same moment, each wolf came at the beast from different direction. It gave out a mix between a yelp and a growl.

Jacob leaped of the ground and landed as a wolf near the huge black behemoth.

The brute growled at Jacob, and pounced. _No!_ I wanted to scream, but my fear paralyzed me. I couldn't bear to see him in pain.

The other pack members snarled, and Seth jumped onto the creatures back, taking his focus off Jacob.

It was almost as terrifying watching Seth battle; he was at least half the size of the black were-wolf. But Jake was clever. As the creature flung himself towards Seth, he bit his back leg, and before the creature could advance on Jacob, Seth once again jumped on his leg.

Jacob, who was backed up by the other wolves began to chase him towards the forest. And, seeing he was outnumbered, with a pathetic whine, he retreated.

I was still staring at the spot on the edge of the forest where the creature had vanished; I needed to be sure that it was gone, when Dad gave another tug on my arm.

"Come on," he whispered.

I followed him inside, and saw Bella, and a shocked looking Charlie awaiting us.

"Carlisle," said Edward, and in a flash Carlisle was by us.

"I saw," he said, "do we know why he came back?"

"Yes," and though Edward looked rim, he wasn't quite as serious as before, "The Volturi, he was thinking of one member in particular."

One member? Why wouldn't he be thinking of Aro, Caius or Marcus? Why not one of the Volturi's leaders?

"Her name is Christine," he said, "she has the power to plant thoughts into your head."

"Plant thoughts? Like Nessie?" asked Carlisle, and the gleam that was always in his eye when he heard brand new information light up his face.

"No, Nessie can show you pictures," said Edward, "Christine can literally give you thoughts without touching you, and make you do her bidding. She is a newborn, only about a year old, the Volturi obviously wanted her because of her talent."

"But how were you able to read his mind?" asked Carlisle.

"I'm not sure, but I have a theory. Their minds are different from ours, but if she were to put a thought that was from her brain, I could read it because it was one from her head, so it was a vampire's thought in a were-wolf's mind."

"Fascinating," breathed Carlisle.

"She sent him to not only destroy us, but to gather information. They want to know how strong our defense is." Said Edward grimly.

How strong our defense was? We hadn't been so strong this time.

_Don't think like that,_ I told myself, _We will be much more prepared when they come, we will have practiced more and would have hunted._

Ouch. Thinking about hunting set my throat on fire. Our last hunting trip had been canceled due to the visit of Tanya and her family.

"Nessie, will you go hunting with Jacob?" asked Dad, no doubt having heard how thirsty I was.

"Yes," I said quickly, think about it though, is there anyone who would say no?

After having a buck and two doe's, I saw Jacob sitting on a log, contemplating something apparently important, because he barely seemed to notice I was there, I joined him.

While hunting I had thought about a question that I had been wondering about for ages, and now, without warning it bubbled to the top of my lips.

"Jacob?" I said.

"Yes?" he said, turning to face me.

"What am I?" I blurted out. Why did I always ask the most awkward questions?

An odd, unfathomable look came on to his face, and there was a long pause.

"Nessie," he began, "I don't think I should be the one to tell you that." He said.

"Please?" I asked.

He sighed.

"You were conceived when your mother was human, and your Dad was a vampire. When you were born, she almost died, so your father changed her."

I considered this for a while.

It wasn't entirely a shock to me, I had expected something similar. The thing that I was thinking about was the fact that I had almost killed my mother. Guilt washed through me. What if I _had_ been the cause of her death? _But you weren't,_ said a voice in my head.

But I could have killed her.

Jacob seemed to understand that I needed to think, because he sat patiently for ages, just watching me contemplate this information.

After a while I he seemed unable to contain himself anymore.

"Are you Ok?" he asked, sounding anxious.

I nodded vacantly.

I hadn't killed her, had I? There was no need for me to be guilty.

At least, that was what I was trying to convince myself.

"Why are you guilty?" asked Jacob, he must have felt my extreme self-reproach.

"I could have _killed _her," I whispered, voicing my horrifying fear.

"But you didn't," he argued. I sighed, of course, that was the only thing he could say, but it didn't make me feel better.

He looked like he wanted to say something, but then he closed his mouth.

For ages he just sat there staring at the ground, then he seemed to snap out of his trance and said,

"Don't feel guilty. We need to be home soon, and your Father will _not_ be happy if he finds out you know."

JACOB'S POV

Why did I just blurt everything out like that?

I know, I'm stupid.

I could feel guilt and self-loathing flood through her; so strong it felt like it was my own. Shouldn't she be, I don't know, scared or confused?

"Why are you guilty?" I asked flat-out, it really hurt to feel her being so upset.

"I could have _killed_ her," she whispered, as if admitting to a terrible crime she committed.

"But you didn't." I said, it was the only thing I could think of that might possibly make her feel better. She frowned.

I desperately wanted to tell her what I had done, to make her feel better. _No, _whispered the voice of sense in my head, _she'll hate you for it! How would you feel if you found out you're best friend, who you have trusted for years, suddenly told you that they tried to kill you?_

I would be upset, angry maybe. I had been so, so lucky that she had accepted me before, I simply couldn't push my luck.

Then something got me thinking, did I really want her to think of me just as her best friend?

Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No.

Yes, I wanted her to think of me as her best friend, someone that she could trust, and someone who was always there for her.

No, I wanted us to be something more. Not now, but someday.

Yes, she was only about the size of a ten year old now, it shouldn't be like that, she needed to be as old as me, and even then, she might not want me.

No, I couldn't I just be her friend, not when all of my feelings for her would just bottle up, and eventually come to the surface anyway.

Yes, her father would never let me, or her mother.

No, when I looked in her eyes, when I saw her I could _never_ be without her, that much was extremely clear to me.

Yes, she might not even want me, and like Seth had said, I didn't want to take her options so young.

No, I _couldn't _see her with another person, I just couldn't.

Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No.

My head swirled with confusing thoughts, and I just made a snap decision, unable to bear it anymore.

Yes, I had to leave it here.

For now.

I caught her looking at me, trying to tell what I was thinking not doubt.

"Don't feel guilty. We need to be home soon, and your Father will _not_ be happy if he finds out you know."

I got of the log, and ran back to the house, still trying to find some sense of what was right.

RENESMEES POV

Approaching the house with Jacob, I felt an aura of gloom engulf me.

When I got closer, I could here dry sobs from upstairs, and an odd thudding noise from upstairs. What happened?

When I opened the door, I saw all of my family sitting down, and looking really grim.

"Dad?" I asked, I felt truly afraid, what could have happened?

"Charlie." He said, his voice was extremely grave. "He didn't make it."

Then I recognized the noise upstairs, from another far, far, far away life.

A broken heart being forced to beat.


	17. Chapter 16

**This chapter is very,**__**very short. I'm truly sorry, but I needed this to be this short for drama, and stuff. I promise that I will update soon!**

**Please no hate in the reviews!**

16. Candle

BELLA'S POV

No.

He _can't_ have died.

He _can't_!

Edward promised!

I couldn't make out my surroundings anymore, the only person in the world was Charlie, and he _was_ going to live!

I suddenly wished that I could cry. I wanted to not be able to see, to feel. I never wanted to live one more second knowing that my father had trusted me, he put his life in my hands!

And I had let him down.

"Bella," came the soft voice of Carlisle from behind me, "you need to leave him."

"No." I said, I tried to sound firm and in control, but my overwhelming grief made my voice crack.

I felt Edward place his hand gently on my shoulder, trying to pull me away from Charlie. I couldn't be away from him, not now.

"I won't. No. I can't. No. I couldn't. No." I mumbled the same things over again, hoping that somehow they might magically make sense.

"Bella," said Edward, and he slowly started to take me to the door. I wanted to stay here, to struggle, to shout. But I couldn't.

I felt drained, completely dead.

That was what the wolves used to describe my family as, and I had never believed them, but now I saw their point.

I had never _ever_ minded what I was, I had begged for it when I was human. But that was when I never realized that any pain you have, you have to live with it forever, you can never run from it. I knew that I would _always _mourn for Charlie, _always_ hate myself for doing this to him, and I would _always_ hurt.

I had killed my own father.

These things prevented me from moving, or resisting the gentle but firm hands that took me away from the person who loved me. The person who accepted who I was, and what I was. The person who trusted me.

The person that I had killed.

I felt like my flame had been blown out. Like someone had drained out my life, happiness. It was all gone. Gone…

It only took one sound for the candle to be lit. One tiny noise that made me feel complete, one tiny, _tiny_ sound that made my life worth living.

One sound that made me have faith in my life again.

Just one sound made me realize everything I had done made sense.

One sound.

The stuttering beat of a heart.


	18. Chapter 17

17. Bonfire

I watched the vast expanse of trees flash by me.

Charlie had been upstairs for three days. It wasn't the best idea for Jacob or me to be around when he 'woke up', so Jake had invited me to a bonfire in la Push, and I would be sleeping at Billy's house tonight, with Jacob. I was very excited.

I settled on the bonfire.

I had never been to one of the bonfires before, and I heard the whole pack would be there. I had never heard the elders tell the legends, but according to mum, it was magical.

From the few times that I had met Billy, I always felt a feel of magic around him, and a sense of grandeur.

We were mostly silent as we headed towards the edge of the trees.

I remembered what it was like when we heard it.

_There was silence._

_No one made a sound either here, or upstairs._

_We had all heard it. The impossible beat of a heart, a heart that had been dead for many minutes._

_It was followed by another stutter, louder this time. And another, and another, and soon the air was filled with rapid, frantic beats that seemed to get stronger all the time._

_I thought there must have been some mistake, but it was clear that somehow, impossibly, unthinkably, absurdly, Charlie had survived._

"Nessie," said Jacob, pulling me out of my memory, "we're almost there."

When we reached the bonfire I was hit by an aura of calm so strong, you could feel it.

"Hey Nessie!" said Seth, and he wrapped me in a big, warm, bear hug.

"Seth!" I gasped, I could barely breath.

"Oh," he let me go, smiling gingerly, "Sorry."

I looked round the circle and saw two boys that I hadn't seen before, who I presumed to be Ace and Jayden.

The one on the right had short dark brown hair, and wore glasses. He had a slightly nervous air about him, and kept glance nervously around, like he was waiting for someone to jump out and shout 'boo!' He looked slightly weedier than the others.

His brother was the opposite. He had huge muscles, and jet-black hair that flopped lazily into his eyes; he had huge laugh lines around his eyes. Though rather than making him look older, they gave him a look of childish confidence that fitted well with his huge grin.

I hadn't met Ace or Jayson yet, but I was worried about those two.

They are only fifteen, and they have been wolves for only days, so I doubt that they will come back from the fight without injury, or whether they'll come back at all!

I realize for the first time, that this didn't just apply to them.

When they were fighting, I would be perishing. Not knowing who had won, not knowing who was injured, not knowing if the people I loved most in the world hadn't vanished from existence.

It would be tortuous.

Through the euphoria of Charlie surviving, we were panicked.

The Volturi were going to come in just _five days_, and though we knew that there was no way to avoid a confrontation, that didn't stop us frantically searching for some alternative.

For a while, I zoned out and thought and worried about the fight.

Though part of me vaguely saw Seth throwing a jumbo-sized hotdog at Florence, everything seemed to blur out, and the war cry that emitted from Mike as Embry stole his roasted marshmallow became soft background noise.

I was jumped when Quil gave me a soft nudge, and I made a noise that sounded like "bjfussisoin".

I looked around to see a smirking Quil, and Billy opening his mouth to speak.

"This is the story of how he pack came to be. For a many, many years we have been able to protect our people, but before this, we were spirit warriors."

I straitened up, and listened intently.

"Our ancestors settled in La Push and became efficient fishermen and shipbuilders. As time passed, other peoples coveted our land and moved against us for it. Our tribe was small and could not defend themselves, so they took their ships and left the land.

"At sea, Kaheleha used the magic in his blood to defend it. He was the first Spirit Chief in Quileute history. He and all the men left the ships in spirit only, using the original power of Quileute Astral Projection, leaving their bodies behind under the care of the women.

"Though they could not physically hurt the enemy, our warriors had other ways. They blew fierce winds into our enemy's camps; they could make great screaming in the wind and could manipulate animals to do their bidding. Animals were the only ones that could see them and help.

"The invading tribe had packs of thick-furred dogs to pull their sleds in the north, and which were set against them. Bats were brought out of the cliff caverns.

"As a result, the dogs and bats won and the survivors of the invaders scattered thinking the harbor cursed. They released the dogs, which ran wild, and returned to their bodies victorious.

"Generations passed and the last of the Great Spirit Chiefs came to be. Taha Aki was a man of peace and was known for his wisdom. However there was one man named Utlapa," there were hisses from around the circle, "who believed that they should use their magic to expand their control over the Hohs and the Makah's, building an empire.

"When the spirit warriors left their bodies their minds were all connected with each other. Taha Aki did not like what Utlapa wanted and banned him from the tribe. Utlapa left and hid in the nearby forest.

"Taha Aki was vigilant and protected his people even when there was no danger. Every so often, the Spirit Chief would leave the village to a sacred and secret place in the mountains. He would leave his body behind and searched the surrounding areas for any dangers or threats.

"One day, Utlapa followed Taha Aki planning to kill him, but as he waited for him to leave his body he hatched another plan. Utlapa left his body, took Taha Aki's body, and killed his own. Taha Aki knew immediately what was happening when Utlapa joined him in the spirit world.

"He raced back to his sacred place but was too late. He followed his body in his spirit self down to the tribe. For weeks he watched with despair, as Utlapa made sure everyone believed he was Taha Aki.

"Then Utlapa's first edict came: no warrior was to enter the spirit world because he had a vision of danger, but in truth he was afraid of Taha Aki. Utlapa took liberties with the tribe that no one ever dreamed of. He took a second and a third wife, even though Taha Aki's wife still lived, something that shocked many members of the tribe.

"Eventually, Taha Aki brought a great wolf down the mountains to kill Utlapa and free the tribe, but Utlapa only hid from it behind his warriors. The wolf ended up killing a young man, making Taha Aki's grief greater.

"Taha Aki had been away from his body long enough to be in agony. He felt doomed of never being ever to cross the line between life and death. The great wolf followed him through the forest and Taha Aki felt jealous of the animal; at least it had a body and a life.

"At that moment the Spirit Chief had an idea that changed the future of the Quileute's. He asked the animal if he could share his body with him and the wolf complied. As one being, the wolf and the man went to the village…

"She grabbed a knife from one of her sons, ran towards the blood drinker and stabbed herself in the heart. The Cold Woman could resist the blood and gave in to her thirst.

"Taha Aki bit her throat and finished her off along with two of his sons who felt such rage at seeing their mother dead that they turned into wolves. After that,

"Taha Aki never returned to his human self, staying to protect his wife's body and leaving to the forest never to return to the tribe."

I was so intensely into the story that I barely noticed when Billy finished.

Wow.

I never had a clue that the wolf pack had such a history! I always thought that they might have just had an odd gene or something. Wow.

"Wow, that was incredible!" I whispered to Jake, who had a grin on his face. For a few minutes there was peaceful silence.

"Who wants to play hide and seek?" Yelled Quil, whom I noticed had brought Claire along. She looked about five or six now, and she had her hair in adorable pigtails. I smiled, sometimes members of the pack our more childish than me. However, you can never say no to hide and seek.

"Me!" I shouted along with Clair, Jacob, Quil, Kim, Mike and Jared.

"You're on!" squealed Clair, tapping Quil on the shoulder and running away.

I sprinted out into the forest, looking for somewhere to hide.

Adrenalin pulsed through me, and I started to panic when Quill said '78'.

After a while of running around aimlessly – like you always do when searching for a place to hide – I found a hollow tree. I glanced around to check that no one was there, and jumped inside.

"97, 98, 99, 100! Coming, ready or not!" shouted Quil. I pressed myself further backwards into the tree.

"Nessie, is that you?" whispered a voice from above me.

"Yes," I looked up to see Clair with her arms and legs holding herself quite a way up, "how did you get up there?"

"Shhhhhh…" she said, as we both heard footfalls coming towards us.

We both sighed in relief as the sound of feet faded away.

"Boo!" Quil's beaming face came up in front of me, making me jump.

"Now you have to help me!" he crowed.

In the end we found Jared and Kim- who Jared was carrying at the top of a tree – and Mike – how had somehow got inside a tree thatwas solid – but Jacob was nowhere to be seen.

I suddenly had an idea.

"Wait here!" I called to the others, and took off full speed towards the caves.

When I made it inside the cavernous caverns, I could barely see it was so dark, and that was saying something as my eyes have super-good sight.

A flash of unexpected lightning threw the cave wall with light.

I gasped.

Across the wall there were beautiful carvings.

There was a woman, who had hair that flowed down to her waist, and a look of determination on her face. Five small boys, who all looked terrified, surrounded her.

"The third wife," came a voice from behind me. I spun around and saw Jacob a few feet behind me.

For a beautiful moment we just stood and looked at the cuttings in the wall, but soon, of course, that moment had to end.

"Jacob! I found you! Hah!" called Jared in the distance.

"Ok," said Jacob, "I'll count."

Exhausted, dizzy and out of breath, we lay down on the ground side-by-side.

All the others had gone home, we were completely alone.

There was a sense of magic in the air at that point in time. Like here, right now, laying next to Jacob the world was full of endless possibilities.

It could have been years, hours, minutes or days that we lay there watching the stars, in this place with Jacob time did not exist, the only people in the world were him and me, me and him.

The world moved on around us, as it always does, but we were in a bubble where time seemed to stop at that moment, at that second in infinite time. Time simply stopped.

"There," said Jacob pointing to a cluster of stars, "That is Lupus, the wolf."

Before he had pointed it out, that cluster of stars had just looked like an oddly shaped fist, but now I could see every detail. The snout, the tail and the beady eyes and the shaggy fur.

"People used to believe he was a were-wolf, because one of the stars that makes him up is called 'Man'." Said Jacob, who turned to face me, smiling

I smiled back.

At this second, at this point in endless time, I truly felt calm, at peace.

Thoughts of the Volturi, the fight, the were-wolf who had tried to attack us, were all gone. Replaced by hope, harmony, and affection. The stuttering clogs of the world that made so many fatal mistakes began to move in perfect synchronization, not one toe out of line.

There was no word to describe this feeling, apart from…

Love.


	19. Chapter 18

18. Mornings

Light streamed through the tattered curtains.

I could hear the gentle snores of Jacob coming from the living room. I smiled.

Jake had been really kind and said that I should sleep in his old room, so he was sleeping on the couch.

Yawning deeply, I got up and tried to tame my curls that were usually unknotted and bouncy in the morning, but now they looked like a birds' nest. I must have tossed and turned last night.

I remember having a dream, but I couldn't quite remember what had happened. It had been sunny I think, or just very bright. It looked like daytime, but were there stars?

I shook my head; once you lose a dream, you can never remember it. Also, I had an odd feeling that I wouldn't _want _to remember it

With a sigh, I checked the time the aged clock above the bathroom sink.

My eyes bulged.

_Ten o'clock?_

We had to be at Emily's house for lunch with the pack in half-an-hour!

I dashed about, probably blurring, frantically brushing my teeth and getting dressed (into clothes that I had packed yesterday) at the same time. A quick glance in the mirror told me that there was no point brushing my hair, so I pushed back my hair and tied it in a messy ponytail.

I tiptoed past Billy's room, but I couldn't hear him, he must already be up and about.

I ran into the living room, planning to shake Jacob awake.

When I got into the living room, I stopped.

When Jacob slept he looked like a completely different person.

The worry lines that had been present ever since we heard that that the Volturi were coming had been erased, and he suddenly looked more like the seventeen year old – sort of – that he was.

He looked so peaceful, so calm at that moment that I stood for a few minutes, just watching him sleep.

"No! Never trust a lion!" he mumbled, and even though he was clearly un-conscious, his tone was stern and almost pleading.

I giggled.

I had almost forgotten why I had originally come here.

It seemed cruel to wake him up, but it _was_ very late.

"Jake," I said softly, nudging him lightly. His snores didn't even waver.

"Jake," I said a bit louder, now elbowing him slightly harder. Still nothing.

"Jake!" I was shouting now, I kicked his foot. His snores faltered, but after a few minutes they picked up again

I sighed; I knew what I had to do.

I took a deep breath.

"JAAAKE!" I screamed, and I rolled him off the couch, using all my might.

"Where's the lion?" he almost growled groggily.

"Lion?" I asked.

"Huh?" he said drowsily, blinking convulsively. Then he gave a small sigh.

"How can you sleep like that?" I asked, ignoring his odd behavior.

"You need to get up!" I said, getting to the point.

"But it's only ten o'clock!" he said, glancing at the clock above the old TV.

"Only ten o'clock?" I shouted, when did he usually wake up?

"Yes," he said slowly, as if explaining that one plus one made two a stubborn child, actually in one sense that was true.

"Come on," I said, attempting to make him stand – or at least sit – and failing.

"No," he said, turning over and cuddling the moth-eaten duvet to his chest.

"Yes," I declared simply.

"No," he stated, yawning.

"Yes," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Goodnight," he said, and closed his eyes.

"I know how this can be settled," I stated, smiling slyly.

"How?" he asked, still not opening his eyes.

I grabbed a pillow from the sofa.

"PILLOW FIGHT!" I screamed, and hit him hard on the head.

"You're on."

He grabbed his pillow from above his head and hit me in the chest very lightly.

"Surely you can do better than that," I teased.

He stood up shakily, and hit me on the head, harder this time.

I grabbed another pillow from the sofa and hit his legs, which buckled and landed him on top of his blanket on the floor.

"I win," I declared, smiling.

"Fine," he muttered, getting up again, his legs shaking.

"You look like Bambi," I laughed.

He smiled, and walked towards the bathroom, his back arched over.

JACOB'S POV

_I was in a forest, it was very bright._

_Something felt wrong, like part of me was missing. I noticed that Nessie wasn't by my side, like she usually was._

_I started running around trying to find her, but my paws felt sore. In the distance I heard a familiar giggle. Nessie._

_Through the loosely packed trees I saw her, she was on top of a lion!_

"_Nessie! No!" I tried to shout, "Never trust a lion!" but it only came out as a whine._

"_Who is that bear?" she asked the beast she was riding._

"_No!" I howled out in grief, "Nessie!"_

"_It's scaring me! Let's go!" she said, and she sounded truly afraid. She was afraid of ME. The lion ran away._

"_Jake?" came a voice from the distance._

"Where is the lion?" I growled, I had to protect her!

"Lion?" Came the familiar voice.

"Huh?" I asked, confused. Then it clicked.

There was no lion. She hadn't forgotten who I was. It was all a dream.

I sighed in relief.

"How can you sleep like that?" She asked, sounding astounded. I ignored her rhetorical question.

"You need to get up!" She said. What?

"But it's only ten o'clock!" he said, well, acording to the clock on top of my television; it might have been an hour late. Even so, she shouldn't sound so panicked about getting up.

"_Only ten o'clock?"_ She screeched, her voice still sounded like a chorus of angels, but it was so loud that I felt the urge to cover my ears.

"Yes," I said, didn't she know that?

"Come on," She said, and started to pull on my arm.

"No," I said simply, and grabbed the duvet.

"Yes," She stated firmly.

"No," I said, yawning.

"Yes," She said slyly, narrowing her eyes.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Goodnight," I said, trying to end this argument.

For a there was silence, and I thought she must have decided to let me rest.

"I know how this can be settled," She stated, sounding slightly sly.

"How?" I asked, nervous.

"PILLOW FIGHT!" She screeched and something hit me on the head.

Reluctantly I tapped her on the chest with a pillow, not wanting to hurt her.

"Surely you can do better than that," She teased me.

I stood up shakily, and unwillingly hit her on the head, still not using all my strength.

She grabbed another pillow from the sofa and hit my legs that were very weak, causing me to fall on top of my blanket on the floor.

"I win," she declared, sounding smug.

"Fine," I muttered, getting up again, my legs shaking like I was walking for the first time.

"You look like Bambi," she laughed.

I smiled at her reference to my favorite film _ever_. No matter how many times Embry teased me about being a sissy, I always cry when Bambi's mother dies.

Reluctantly, I got up two hours earlier than usual.

RENESMEE'S POV

After a few minutes, Jacob came out of the bathroom looking slightly cleaner and wearing an old white vest and some roughly cut off sweat-pants, his hair looked like he had merely ran his fingers through it, it looked in a very messy disarray.

Well, at least it isn't as bad as dad's hair aka _The_ _Hair_, as Jacob had once called him.

"Am I presentable now your majesty?" he asked sarcastically.

"Hmmmm…" I mused, "I supposed you'll have to do," I said, with a sigh.

He rolled his eyes and followed me out the door.


	20. Chapter 19

19. Packed Lunch

Running to Emily's house was exhilarating.

The good thing about La Push is that it isn't very big, so you can simply run anywhere, something that I loved.

I was exited to see their house. Apparently, after about a year of Emily trying to persuade Sam, he had finally redone the outside.

With their baby due in only a month, they were trying to redo the second bedroom into a sort of nursery.

Sam had stuck his trousers to the wall with super-glue.

As we approached the dirt track that led to Emily and Sam's house, the beauty of it stunned me.

It was a tiny house, that had been painted a bright white, and a wisteria curled round the door. There were four windows at the front, and they were all painted a lovely pink-ish color, just like the door. Under each window there was a box of bright blue flowers, all different shades of turquoise, aqua, navy and a beautiful slightly purple color that I had no name for.

All in all, it looked like a fairytale.

It was hard to believe that simple places like this, where you could have a lovely meal with your friends and not have to worry about the fact that you were slowly coming towards a fight (possibly) to the death.

We slowed down to a leisurely pace as we reached the dirt track leading up to the almost cottage-like house.

From a few yards away, you could here the raucous that pack was making, and a lovely smell of homemade pizza wafted through the open kitchen window.

Not bothering to knock, Jacob simply barged in with me following close behind.

"Hey Nessie!" came the slightly muffled voice of Seth.

All crowded around one small table, all members of Jacob's pack – or so it seemed – and Jared, Sam and Collin were digging into a feast that had, no doubt, been prepared by Emily.

Huge stacks of chicken wings were piled onto one platter, in the center of the table. There was a ginormous bowl of roast potatoes and chips on the right side of it, and a bowl that was overflowing with peas and carrots. Knowing the pack well, it looked like Emily had simply given them each a plastic plate, knowing that they would never willingly use cutlery, there was no point trying to sway their terrible table manners.

I was not entirely surprised to see members of both packs here, of course, it was Emily and Sam's house after all, and this was no time for us to be divided. With the approaching fight, we should be able to stand together. Though there wasn't much disagreement between the packs (only on few occasions had they ever had a actual fight. Only once when Liam just happened to be running patrol and Florence had accidently run into him was there any actual danger.)

Huge stacks of chicken wings were piled onto one platter, in the center of the table. There was a ginormous bowl of roast potatoes and chips on the right side of it, and a bowl that was overflowing with peas and carrots.

Even though I rarely ate human food – I preferred deer, though I didn't have to hunt very often, I still loved buck – it made my mouth water.

Knowing the pack well, it looked like Emily had simply given them each a plastic plate, knowing that they would never willingly use cutlery, there was no point trying to sway their terrible table manners.

Emily herself was leaning against the frame of the door that separated the kitchen from the living/dining room. There was such affection on the left side of her face; you might think that she were a mother watching her children. Actually, that wasn't far from the truth.

I could tell that she was going to be a great mother.

She was so responsible, and she loved the family she had in La Push, even if they weren't really related by blood. The pack did behave like children sometimes. Even Jake, who had the responsibility of being an Alpha, had agreed to a pillow fight, even if he had lost miserably.

She was looking pretty huge, she was about eight months pregnant now, so that should be expected, but it still surprised me just how _big_ she was.

"Hi Nessie!" said Emily, and the left half of her face warmed.

"Hey Emily," I said, smiling.

She crossed the room – with some difficulty – and pulled me into a tight, and slightly awkward hug.

"Hey!" whined Seth, teasing me pathetically.

"Hey Seth," I said, smiling over Emily's shoulder at his pouting face.

"How was the sleep over?" he asked, shoveling food into his mouth.

"I beat him in a pillow fight," I said, feeling slightly smug.

"Ha!" laughed Seth, chocking slightly on his chicken wing. Jared patted him on the back, rolling his eyes.

"Oh," said Emily, jumping like she had forgotten something, "I need to finish dessert."

"Can I help?" I asked, eager to assist her. I felt sorry for her sometimes; she always had to cook for the pack.

"Sure!" said Emily, smiling.

We walked into the newly decorated kitchen.

It was absolutely gorgeous.

Thee counter was painted a lovely cream color, and the cupboards above them were a lovely dark brown, that reminded me of rich chocolate. There was a little high bar-like counter in the middle of the room; there were two little wooden stools with little plush cushions that had flowers on them pulled up to the bar. On the table was a beautiful china vase that had two roses in it.

"Wow," I breathed, not being able to say anything that could describe the beauty of this small kitchen.

"I know," said Emily, I almost jumped upon hearing her voice; I nearly had forgotten that she was there.

"What are we making?" I asked, pulling my gaze away from the beautiful cushions.

"Well, I was going to do a sort of tart-thing… but I suppose since we don't have much time I'll just do a cake." She said, walking over to a cupboard and pulling out an old, dog-eared recipe book.

"What do we need?" She asked, walking over to the fridge.

"Umm…." I said, flicking through the pages until I found one that read:

**Chocolate Fudge Cake**

**You need:**

**240g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes**

**265g dark chocolate (52 per cent cocoa solids) cut into small pieces**

**95g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids) cut into small pieces**

**290g light muscavado sugar**

**4 tbsp. water**

**5 large free-range eggs (for better taste), separated**

**A pinch of salt**

**Cocoa powder for dusting**

"We should probably times it by four," she said, and got all the ingredients out of the cupboard.

"Ok," I said, after reading out the ingredients, "Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line it with baking parchment."

While Emily pre-heated the oven, I grabbed the brown sugar and poured some water into a saucepan. It was nice cooking with Emily; there was a sense of comfort around her.

"Do you now whether it is a boy or a girl?" I asked as I poured the boiling liquid into the butter and both types of chocolate that she had mixed.

"No," she said, "I don't want to know yet." I could sort of under stand that; it might be nice to find out when it was born, so that it will be a surprise.

"Do you have any names?" I asked.

"If it's a girl I want it to be called Isabel. I'm not sure for a boy. I suggested but Sam didn't want any child to be associated with his father."

"What do you want it to be?" I asked. It was quite interesting to find out which sex they would rather had. I imagined that typically men would say 'a boy' and women would say 'a girl', but that might not always be the case.

"I don't know," she said, sighing, "I would like a girl so that I could do her hair, and play dolls with her. But I would like a boy because we would both love a little wolf – Sam in particular. Also, I don't really want to want it to be either, because I might feel disappointed if it wasn't the one that I wanted it to be. This should only be happy. I would love both exactly the same." She finished.

I thought about what she had said while I quickly whisked the eggs in the batter. I had never really thought about children before. It seemed odd to think of having children with Jacob, however natural being with him seemed. But, I couldn't imagine having them with anyone else, I just couldn't really see myself as a mother.

After that, we mostly worked in silence. When we were mixing the icing, though, Emily asked me how Jacob was.

"He's fine," I replied, not really knowing what to say. But, after a while I decided that I might really be able to talk with Emily. After all, she was the one person who might understand what I meant.

"I don't really know," I admitted, voicing my fears and worries for the first time, "I don't really know what to feel. I love him like a brother, and I don't want to hurt him in any way, if we try to be together. I just don't know. What if I _do_ try to be with him eventually, when I'm older, and it doesn't work? That will just hurt him. I don't know what I'm meant to do." I finished.

For a while there was silence, and I regretted my outburst. Why had I done that? I just let everything out, but it didn't feel much better, like people always said in books.

"Nessie," said Emily, and her tone surprised me, she sounded and sympathetic, "You are sometimes more adult than me. You are only three – in years-, ten – physically -, but sometimes it seems like you are my age mentally. You don't need to worry; if you start to feel things for Jacob later it will feel right. If you don't, there is no need to worry, it doesn't have to be like that, you can simply be best friends, like you have always been. It will be fine." She finished.

Oddly, know I felt better.

Maybe I wasn't looking to get it off my chest, maybe I just needed advice.

I thought about the first thing that she said. How old did I _feel_? I have never really put an age on me. I know that I am more mature than other ten year olds, but I don't really know _how _mature.

Not mature enough to take part in the fight, though I wasn't really annoyed about that. I wanted to know that my family was OK. Where would I be when the fight was going on?

"Emily," I said.

"Yes?" she said, turning away from the half-iced cake to face me.

"Where will you be when the fight is going on?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said, sighing, "Sam wants me to go back to mother in the Makah tribe, but I want to be able to know whether he was Ok." Her mother was in the Makah tribe? I heard the story of how Sam imprinted, but I always assumed that she was from here.

"Where do you think I will go?" I asked.

"I don't know either," she said, "I assume that Jacob will take you as far away as possible. He will probably look after you," she said, and she placed the cake on a huge plastic plate.

I followed her to the table, where Seth and Mike seemed to be having an intense staring competition, which was of course canceled as soon as the food was on the table.

"Do you want some?" asked Emily, though she knew that the chances of me getting some were about fifty-to-one.

"No, I'm Ok," I said, I knew that that would _not_ go down well.

For I while I just sat at the table, and tried to make some sort of conversation with Emily, over the loud noise of the pack eating.

All in all, I was better off having had a talk with Emily, I thought, as me and Jacob went into my small cottage. We had been told not to go near the main house, as that was where Charlie would be.

I entered the cottage with Jake and realised that I had nothing to do. For the past week I had been busy thinking about the fight, there had always been something for me to do

Is this what being bored is like? I asked myself.

I suppose it is, except that my case was slightly different than anyone else's, rather than having a break from school, homework and shopping I had a break from were-wolf attacks, preparing for a fight that could possibly change the existence of the vampire race, and worrying about my feelings for a shape-shifter.

Right now, boredom was blissful.


	21. Chapter 20

20. Escape

CHRISTINE'S POV

I gazed over the beautiful town of Volterra.

Over the 7-foot high wall, I could barely see. I felt like a prisoner.

Sometimes I wonder why I am still here, why I haven't left and found my own way, I could. I felt like I wanted a break from the blood, the war, the constant sense of insecurity and the tense atmosphere. Sometimes.

Sometimes I felt guilty, even though I didn't know why. Master had told me that we must make the Cullens _pay_, so that was what I had done.

I didn't dare ask why we sought revenge; that would be stupid. I had already felt the pain of Jane before, and it wasn't something I liked to remember.

"_Where am I," I whispered, for the second time._

"_You will serve us now," drawled a tall man that I didn't recognize. His face was beautiful beyond belief. His eyes were pitch black. Wait, they were black?_

"_No." I said. Who did he think he was? He couldn't tell me what to do; he was just as human as me._

"_Child," he laughed, "You have no idea what you are saying."_

"_Yes," I said firmly, "I do. I will not 'serve' you. Never."_

"_Jane," he said casually._

_In a flash I tiny girl was in front of me. She smiled._

_Fire burned through me, excruciating. I was blinded, I was swimming through a bed of nails, and I was being cut apart with a million shards of glass. I whished I was, they seemed like lying on a bed of feathers compared to this._

_The pain was familiar, but I could barely think about it. The fire burned through even sinew in my body. Burning me, consuming me, engulfing me in the fires of hell. This would never end._

_I couldn't feel time I could have only been here for a few seconds, or a million light years, it wouldn't matter. Nothing did, except the pain._

_Fire burning me from the inside almost dimmed the ripping pain that came from my neck._

I shuddered at the memory.

_No,_ I told myself, _don't be weak. You need to focus on the fight._

I had never been in combat before. I didn't want to be weak when the fight came. _No,_ said the voice in my head again,_ It won't be a fight. We shall conquer them. We will rule them. We will win._

A thought suddenly struck me, Why was there a fight?

This sudden thought was so against me, so against what I had become, that I gasped. Why did I ask? It was not my job to ask, it was wrong. I _had_ to serve my masters. I _had_ to fight for them. I had to be a servant to them.

It was not a question off what I wanted, or what mattered to me. I had to be flexible to whatever I was asked to do. They valued us; they would never intentionally get rid of us.

"Master, we have found two more," my head whipped around to face the sound that seemed to come from the tower.

_Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, _screamed the sense in my head, as I tensed to jump onto the tower wall. But who was I to listen to sense? Suddenly I was flying and my nails dug into the hard rock.

"Two more isn't good enough!" spat the voice I recognized as my master.

"But they only have those pathetic wolves," said the other voice.

"Yes! And they have more than twenty!" Hissed master.

"Master," said the other voice tentatively, "Why are we fighting them?"

"It is not in your place to ask such questions like that!" screamed master, "We are fighting for our power! For our peace! They chose to break the rule! A very good thing I might add, now we have a reason to cleanse the world of their _peace_ and their _respect_ for mere HUMANS! This will put them when were they belong, in the fiery pits of hell! Do you have any idea how much I loathe them! First they escaped us, now they tell a mere human what they are! And they keep it as their pet! This behavior is inexcusable! A HUMAN!" He screamed the last word.

"Master," whispered the other voice, after silence, "They have changed him," he whispered.

"YOU DAAAARRREEEE!" He screamed, hurting my ears.

There was a ripping sound and silence.

I would have fallen, if my vampire senses weren't much more strong than the strongest horror.

How?

Was this the real? Was this me? I couldn't possibly tell.

If I could dream, I would say that this had to be some sick, twisted dream. But I couldn't sleep. This was _real. _

I had been obeying a murderer. I _was _a murderer.

I had killed innocent vampires. I had ruined the lives of a coven.

I had no words to describe anything anymore.

The sky darkened and I was still on the side of the tower.

I was completely incapable to accept anything that I had heard.

I was at a complete loss to see what I could possibly do.

If I went along like nothing had happened, I would be no better than my master, who had just _killed _someone had served him loyally.

If I resisted and tried to actually confront him- I shuddered at the thought.

Never before had I felt so helpless. Never in this life, that was. Suddenly as I thought of this, it brought back distant memories from another world.

_Water. Water seeping everywhere._

"_Chrissie!" Came a chocked back scream. A scream of agony and pain._

"_Mommy!?" I cried. What was happening?_

_Water. Drowning. Water._

I was swept from this memory to another of powerlessness.

_I wandered the streets._

_Alone, afraid. Hungry._

_My feet were scorching against the rocky streets of Italy. People stared at me. They stared in disgust. I felt so weak._

_I fed off old food, if it rained, I filled my ripped and torn plastic bottle with that, and drank that._

_I was a scavenger._

_A runaway daughter._

_An orphan._

Another memory…

_I was running, running, always running._

_The man with the blood red eyes was chasing me, though I felt that he was stalling._

_I was still running, my clothes getting caught on brambles._

_One thorn caught on my shoulder._

_He was up to me in a second, his eyes crazed, mad._

"_Please don't hurt me, please please please. Stop." I whispered, though I knew that he would never be able to hear me. But remarkably he did._

_But then he stopped, and I took that moment to get a head start._

"_Aro will be pleased that I found you, young one. Very Pleased." He said, looking shocked, and still slightly mad. But there was an odd smile that did not match his voice that was slowly spreading across his face._

These memories – or thoughts – seemed to be familiar, but really they were unfamiliar.

I recognized signs of another life, another person in them. The old me.

From these memories, I seemed to find myself. Find who I am, not _what_ I am. From this, I realized the right thing to do, the thing that I must do. To show that the little girl who had believed in good and evil, was still here.

I jumped off the tower with one thing in my mind. One goal.

I didn't care about anything that got in my way; I was doing this for the girl. For Chrissie.

I was going to find the Cullens.


	22. Chapter 21

21. Journey

I had been watching the Cullens from my branch in a nearby forest for a day.

I was shocked at how they behaved.

They didn't look nervous to turn their backs on each other, incase they lost a limb.

Was this how all vampires behaved? Had I simply been forced to believe that this was how my kind behaved?

No, this seemed much too friendly a gathering. They were almost like a _family_.

I shuddered, it was highly unnatural.

I was torn out of my thoughts by the whooshing wind sound that only vampire running could make. I quickly pushed myself into a tiny hole in the tree, and hoped that I would be too far in for anyone to see.

I nearly fell out of the tree.

There was a little girl who was running alongside a smiling brunette.

Her skin was pale, pale enough for her to be immortal, but it only let off a vague glow when the early-morn sun hit her. And her _eyes._

Rather than the red color I had expected, they were a beautiful silky brown. How could that be?

But this wasn't the most shocking thing about her.

She only looked about eleven at the oldest, and the older brunette looked at her with such adoration that you could hardly believe they weren't mother and daughter. Somehow when she was looking at the small one, her whole face lit up, making her look about twice as beautiful.

I examined the woman closer, only to be in danger of dropping about twenty feet, and possibly making a small crater in the ground once more.

She was clearly vampire, her skin let off blinding rays of light, and her face was inhumanly beautiful (enhanced by the small one), yet she was about as different from a vampire as the glowing child.

Her eyes were a dark gold color. _Gold._

What secrets did this coven have?

Being up in the tree about half a mile away from the house, I could barely see their eye color, and the one that I had seen had black eyes, which seemed normal.

Just then, the brunette looked up.

I stifled a gasp.

Pushing myself still deeper into the tree, I sucked in my chest, praying that she wouldn't see me.

After a few seconds she looked away, probably thinking that it was just a squirrel. I breathed a sigh of relief.

She started to speed off and she grabbed the small ones hand and pulled her along too.

When they were a reasonable distance away, I carefully climbed out of my hole and grabbed the branches nearest me. Taking a deep breath I propelled myself forward, swinging on the branches along the way.

It was so exhilarating I felt the need to laugh, but I clamped my mouth shut; I didn't like to think what would happen to me if they found out that I was spying on them.

When I had caught up with them, the scene that awaited me was very odd. The brown haired one was tensed, and she closed her eyes. She was obviously hunting, but what human would come here?

Suddenly her eyes opened and she and the girl sped off. Curious, I followed them.

What I saw then will haunt me forever.

I thought through the question. _What human?_

She was holding a buck firmly, and her teeth were deep into its neck. She was sucking thirstily, so the only conclusion was that she was drinking _an animal_!

How is that even possible?!

I thought what this would mean.

It meant that there was another way. It meant that we didn't have to kill humans; it meant that I had murdered innocent people, with no reason! I had always expected what I am, and told myself that it was natural for me to kill people, that it was the only way to survive.

But now it was clear that I didn't have to be a murderer, and all the disgust I had felt when I first saw what the girl was drinking had ebbed away. I decided that I would do everything in my power to not murder people any more.

I heard a victory cry from the other side of the forest, and I quickly went to see what had happened.

In the middle of a clearing the little girl was holding a huge mountain lion. The animal was batting furiously at the girl, with enough strength to permanently scar her face. However, the girl acted as if his sharp claws were merely tickling feathers. She was draining it fast, and the creature gave up with a gurgle, and it slumped to the floor

So the girl must be a vampire then. But she looked so _human_. Her eyes didn't get the light shade of butterscotch that the other one's had when she had drank the deer.

They just stayed the same shade of chocolate.

What could she be then? A thought struck me. What if these people were a different type of vampire, that was able to be near humans without their throats burning? What if this child was part human?

But that wouldn't make any sense. Now that I thought about it the brunette was obviously the little ones mother. But how would that work? Surely vampires couldn't have children, we are frozen in time. And she would have had to change to carry the baby, wouldn't she?

None of it made sense.

These creatures, though odd, were clearly not dangerous. So why was it that when ever Master talked about the Cullens, there was fear in his eyes. Surely these people weren't threats to our peace, were they?

"Renesmee!" called a chiming voice.

The little one left her kill on the ground and ran to her mother.

I followed her through the trees to where her mother was calling, looking anxious.

The little one called Renesmee ran up to her mother.

"I told you not to go too far!" She scolded, though she didn't seem to be angry at the child, only worried about her safety. She wrapped her in a tight hug.

Watching them now, I could see that they weren't the threat. We were. I felt so guilty that it made my chest hurt. I had sent a werewolf to kill these people for no reason!

"Come on," said the mother, and she started to run back the way she came when I stepped on the branch and it gave out a load creak as it bended over, taking in my weight.

Her eyes snapped up to look at me. For a second we were both frozen.

Then I started to fly through the air, retreating. The mother hissed at me.

"Renesmee, run! Go back to the house! Now!" She said, and the tiny one ran away.

Without her daughter to be worried about she leaped to up the tree I was on, and began to catch up with me.

I was terrified.

What would she do to me? If I hadn't been watching these people hunting, I would assume that she would kill me, but maybe these people were too kind to kill me straight away, without interrogating me.

"You!" She shouted at me, and her hand caught on my robe.

I braced myself; surely this would be the end. After a while, when there was no burning pain, I opened my eyes, and saw her still holding me by my robe, with narrowed eyes.

"Please," I whispered. I didn't want her to drag my death out. Make it quick.

And remarkable, she let me go.

Why would she do that?

Shocked and confused, I flitted over the branches.

These people were so kind, so full of mercy, it was hard to believe that we were the same race.

For all she knew, I could have been sent to kill them. Yet she let me go.

When I was well clear of the house, I sat down and thought.

Maybe I can go back to Volterra and pretend nothing happened, but wouldn't that make me a coward? Too afraid to do the right thing.

_But,_ I told myself; _there is nothing that you can do. You have to serve your masters._ For a moment I whished that I could go back to the way I was, oblivious and uncaring. Just a mindless pawn in my masters' game of chess. But now that I knew the truth, there was no way I can forget.

I think of the little girl and the woman. I pictured them screaming, writhing in agony as they were burned into coal. Pain shot through me. In that moment, I felt more loyal to these strangers than I ever had to my masters.

I knew what life I want. I want to have a family like them. I want to have a household based on love and faith rather than hate and violence. I realize now that I wouldn't mind dying, because I had nothing to live for. But those people have _lives._ They have mates, they have children, and I think the blond male might even have a job. It was too much to waste.

I felt helpless!

I got up, and started the thousand-kilometer journey back to Volterra.

There was nothing I could do. I would _have_ to kill the Cullens.

I had to.


	23. Chapter 22

22. Request

I watched her seemingly blank face.

Whenever she went into deep thought, her eyes went glassy, and she acted as if she was somewhere else.

I assumed it was something to do with what happened on the hunt, whatever that was. None of them would tell me what had happened, but they seemed to be pretty interested in it. I would sometimes find Mum in a deep discussion with Carlisle, but whenever I tried to hear what they were saying, they stopped immediately and began talking about something else.

The one time I had asked her what it was about, she said simply that I didn't need to worry about it.

After all, she was probably right.

I had quite enough to worry about, without a mystery something – or someone – who was apparently so dangerous that I had to run away. I had to worry about what was going to happen at the fight, where I was going to be, and Jacob. That was quite enough.

It had been a day since the hunting trip.

When mum had come back, I was immediately scared. Her expression was probably similar to someone who had just woken up to a loud alarm clock. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was parted in a small 'o'.

For a while she hadn't been able to speak. After a while, a very painful expression came on her face. Her eyes scrunched up slightly, and she clenched her teeth. Dad gasped, as if he had just remembered something.

None of it made sense.

Over the last few days, she was still worrying about whatever had happened. Most of the time, she was standing around in deep thought, and whenever someone talked to her she jumped as if she'd just been tazered.

Now they were practicing fighting techniques.

I didn't like to watch. Whenever it was Jacob's turn and he was out-minded – or out-strengthed in Emmett's case – I felt so worried for him that a pain grew in the bottom of my chest. Of course, I felt worried for most people, though I knew that no harm would come to them, but with Jacob I simply couldn't bare it.

I suddenly realized something.

In the real fight, nobody would be trying to be gentle, actually the opposite was true. They would be using as much force as possible. Aiming for the kill.

I don't know why this was a surprise to me; I had always known what the fight would be like. But maybe I had thought that Jacob wasn't going to join in.

That was of course, very stupid of me.

I don't think that there is a werewolf alive who would ever resist the chance to kill a vampire, and especially not a big, furry, russet were-wolf. Apart from the fact that he would hugely enjoy the opportunity, I was his duty as the Alpha of the pack to give orders and lead the way into the battlefield. I knew that he would have to take charge of all ten wolves, and that was not an easy job.

While most of them would simply be powered by their instinct, others would be fighting to protect the ones they loved, and that meant that they would make things much, much more violent than the others. They would have to have someone to make sure they didn't go mad and completely uncoordinated. Jacob would have the responsibility of the pack on his shoulders, and that was enough to make you collapse. The last thing that he would think about was me, and that shouldn't make me feel upset.

I don't know why it did. I suppose part of me hoped he might stay with me, and not fight. Then he would be safe, and we would be together.

"Aoourgh!" A familiar howl broke out.

I immediately felt full of panic. Thoughts of newborns, fights, screaming and Jacob dying filled me head suddenly like wildfire engulfing an ancient forest. My head snapped up and I saw Jacob on the floor, tears running down his cheeks.

"Jake?!" I yelled. Then Emmett echoed the sound, and I suddenly understood.

It was his barky impersonation of a laugh. Both him and Emmett were laughing so hard they were crying because of some insignificant joke. He was safe.

Why was I so protective of him? I said somehow made him simply sharing a small joke and laughing with Emmett into a situation where I was so wrought with fear for his safety that I felt like I wanted to scream. Pathetic. There was no reason for me to feel so worried for him; he could take care of himself.

Maybe the imprint worked more on both sides than I thought. Was Jacob this protective of me?

No, he was much more defensive. I remember the time on my second birthday when I had got a small paper cut and he went absolutely berserk. Come to think of it, everyone went a bit over-protective that day…

No. I wasn't as worried as Jacob. Definitely not.

"Maybe we could send her and Charlie to Renée?" said Mum, sounding worried.

They were discussing where I would go during the fight, and kept on coming up blank.

"No, replied Dad, "They would think that we were avoiding him being there. Plus, do you really think that your mother would like to see her former husband with bright red eyes and pale skin? And would you trust him with our daughter?"

Mum flinched at his suggestion.

"What about sending her to England with someone?" She asked, sounding slightly desperate.

"Who though?"

A burning desire charged through me and before I could stop myself I blurted out, "I want to stay with Jacob." Dad's eyes widened.

Surprisingly, Mum was the only one who stayed calm.

"Ok," she said, "Maybe you and him could camp in the mountains. You'd be safe there, and-"

"No," said Dad, and his cold face matched his tone. Mum looked shocked.

"But it's her choi-"

"No," he exploded, suddenly raging with some deep buried anger, "No it's not. I will not allow _our_ daughter to go up a mountain with some _dog._ Do you remember what happened the last time he was there-"

"Enough." Said Mum firmly, "I trust Jacob to look after our daughter. And I trust Nessie to know what is best for her."

I was shocked at this sudden outburst from both of them. The only other time I had seen them fight was in a distant memory before the Volturi had come for us for the first time, and even then it wasn't really and argument. I remember overhearing them.

"_I've got to go alone," said Mum. Her voice was firm, but like she was trying to sound gentle._

"_I don't want you to go to them alone. Can't you imagine? If they find out about Nessie or your talent, they'll try and make you join them." He paused, and seeing that she wasn't budging he continued, "They might take Nessie."_

_Her eyes widened. But then she shook her head._

"_No, that's the reason. If you come Aro will be able to simply touch you and know about her. If I go on my own he won't be able to tell. All they will care about is that I'm a vampire."_

"_You're not going alone," Dad insisted, speaking through his teeth, his hands clenched into fists._

"_They won't hurt me," She said, going back to being as gentle as possible. She sounded sure to me, even if she was just trying to be as convincing as possible, "They have no reason to. I'm a vampire. Case closed." Her jaw set._

"_No. Absolutely no." His eyes narrowed._

"_It's the only way to protect her." A panicky note took over her voice, and if her logic hadn't been practically watertight I would have said that she was just making it up as she went along._

_Sensing that the discussion was over, Dad gave up with a sigh._

"_Okay," he said, "But I want Alice to make absolutely sure that it will be safe first."_

"_A compromise." She said, and a hint of a smile played around the corners of her mouth._

"_A compromise." He agreed, grinning._

But this time it might not end so peacefully.

"So you really would trust a mutt who has taken advantage of you so many times I can't-"

"Yes." She said, "I trust him."

"Fine," He sighed, "But he might not comply. You know that he will want to fight."

"He could be phased while he's with her, then he will be connected to the pack, and he will be able to protect her best." Again, her logic was completely foolproof.

So in three days I would be on top of a mountain with a huge, friendly, russet, furry werewolf.

That made me almost look forward to the fateful date.

Almost.


	24. Chapter 23

**Hello,**

**I am really sorry about the long gap between updates recently, but I have been really busy lately. I hope you like this Chapter. It includes Carmen's back-story, because I think it was slightly disappointing that we never got to know her better in the books (or the Illustrated Guide).**

**I haven't been getting many reviews recently, so the first person to review – if you leave some details like hair color, name, etc. – will get a character based on them!**

**I hope you like the chapter!**

**M**

23. Comfort

The pack was coming over for diner.

I couldn't honestly say that I was looking forward to it. Though I was exited to see Seth and the others, I could remember only too clearly what had happened the last time the pack had come over. The fight with Jacob was one of my most terrible memories; sometimes I wished that I had never discussed the matter with him.

But then I thought of all the moments that we have shared together. Him sitting next to me on the log next to the river, him lying down next to me on the grass watching the stars with me, and I realized that if I hadn't told him, everything would be much, much worse.

Of course, everything might have been just a bit easier, but I would till be completely in the dark. I wouldn't be able to have someone that I could completely trust, because I knew that Jacob physically couldn't do an.

I wouldn't be able to have someone that I could completely trust, because I knew that Jacob physically couldn't do anything to hurt me in any way. I would still have to here comments about the imprint, and not know what they meant.

Yes, things might have been simpler when he was just Jacob, my best friend. When I didn't have to worry about whether I should be thinking what I was thinking about him, when I didn't have to think into pretty much everything I did and wonder whether it was right. Maybe it _would _have been simpler if I had never talked to him?

"Why do you worry so, mi querido?" Came a soft voice from behind me. I spun around to see Carmen walking slowly towards me, a small smile on her face.

With all that had happened lately I had almost forgotten that the Denali's were here. I have only met Carmen once, but I think I trusted her the most out of her and her sisters.

Of course I liked them all but I didn't really trust Kate, and now that she was with the Volturi (even though she was doing it to protect her family) that distrust merely deepened.

There was nothing that bothered me about Irina or any of them, but Carmen had a very calming air about her. Also, Dad had recently told me that they were succumbi, and that made me feel more comfortable with Carmen.

I didn't quite know what to tell her.

Should I really tell her about Jacob? Did she already know that he had imprinted on me? I didn't know if it would make a difference if she knew or not; there was no way that anyone would understand Jacob and mine's relationship.

"It really isn't right for someone your age to have such a heavy weight on your shoulders," she said, and walked over to join me sitting on the steps.

I had nothing to say to that, so I waited silently for her to break the silence.

"You know, I understand how you feel." She said. I was confused.

There was no way she could possibly know how I was feeling.

"I was born in a small village in Spain, in 1702. I was an arrogant young girl. I had a caring family, that wasn't very rich, but we had a lovely house and I always seemed to get what I wanted.

"My mother had already got a husband for me, of course I barely knew him, but I thought that he was perfectly nice. My whole future seemed perfect. But then, when I was only nineteen the war came.

"I was young, I didn't understand what was happening. I didn't understand that men would be putting down their lives to protect our country, and I most certainly didn't understand that soon my father would be forced to fight in the war.

" I remember one night when I heard my mother yelling at father, telling him that he couldn't jus go and abandon his family. He told her that it was his duty to go, and if she couldn't accept that maybe _she_ should be the one that was going away.

"I didn't know what was happening, but I was scared. I was so selfish. I was worried that whatever was happening would affect my proposal to Benedict, I didn't even wonder if it might affect the people I loved. So arrogant.

"Only a few months later, my father left and joined the army. I was shocked, and for some reason I felt jealous. I had always been told not to do anything dangerous, and here my father was, going out to fight in the war.

"On his night of departure, I put myself in his luggage. I wanted to see the world for myself, and I knew that this might be the only chance I would get.

"When I got to the battle I didn't feel like that. I stayed in my father's tent the whole time, wishing I could go back home and tell my mother and father how very sorry I was.

"One night there was a storm. I could here the sound of bullets being ejected from guns outside, and I knew that my tent was about to blow over, putting me in range of many bullets. But suddenly I saw the silhouettes of hands on the side of the tent.

"I was about to scream, when I saw that the hands were holding down the tent. I didn't know what was happening; Why would a stranger be helping me? How did they know that I was in there? And also, how could he possibly be strong enough to hold the tent to the ground?

"Then someone climbed inside the tent. I couldn't see who it was, but I was terrified. I pulled myself further into a pile of my father's clothes, praying that they wouldn't notice me.

"But then he called out 'Are you ok?' His voice was like a gentle breeze. I don't know why, but I immediately trusted this stranger. Then I did something very stupid, I whispered 'yes'.

"He came and sat by me then, and he asked me why I was there. I could have said many things, I could have told him about my need to break free of my small, sheltered life. I could have told him that it was none of his business.

"I could have told him a lie, and said that I was inspecting the tent, or something similar.

"But instead I just told the truth, and said that I didn't know. He asked me about my family, and all the while I answered him truthfully, even though I didn't really know why I did. For hours he questioned me about my life.

"After a while, I asked him about his life. When I asked him if he had family, he merely smiled and said 'you could say that, but we are much more tight than your average family', and smiled. When I asked him why _he_ was here, he said that he was on a mission for his _family._

"I should have known then not to get involved with him. But I simply couldn't resist him. He seemed to genuinely like me, and at that time I didn't care whether I liked him too.

"Every night he came back to my tent, and every night I fell more and more in love with him.

"So you see, I know how it feels to fall in love even if it completely seems wrong. Even in the midst of war.

I was so absorbed in her story that I barely noticed when she stopped.

I couldn't believe no one had ever told me that my aunt had fallen in love with a vampire!

"What happened then?" I breathed.

"It went on like that for weeks, but one night he didn't come. I was determined to find him, so when I was certain that my father and the people who slept beside him were asleep, I snuck out.

"Merely seconds after I stepped out, I heard a footstep behind me. Then, before I had time to react, the person shot me. I screamed.

"The pain was terrible. The bullet had pierced through my leg, and I fell to the ground.

"I could barely see over the pain, but I glimpsed a white flash coming towards me.

"Then something pierced my neck.

"It was horrible, the burn of the unstoppable flames-" But then she paused midsentence, and I guessed she was editing part of her story out, so as not to frighten me.

"Anyway, when I awoke, he wasn't anywhere to be found. After a few years, I was brought to the attention of the Volturi. I was attacked by the guard and taken back to Volterra.

"They planned to execute me, but when they asked me how I was changed and I told them about him, they seemed to change their minds for some reason. I guessed that they probably knew him from somewhere at the time, but know I realize that he was probably a member of the guard.

"I spent years there, until I met Eleazer. We've been together ever since." She concluded her story.

I sat in silence for a while.

"You don't need to worry, un turbulento," she said, getting up and walking back to the house.

"I know you will do the right thing."

If only I could be so sure.


	25. Chapter 24

24. Confrontation

I yawned.

It was around nine o'clock, and the pack had just finished dinner.

There had been quite a big food fight after dinner, and I felt exhausted. I felt so drowsy I could fall asleep right now.

Most of them had gone home, but Jacob and Seth had stayed to watch some soccer game. I honestly don't see the point in it at all. The people just run about, and nothing happens apart from one team getting incredibly depressed! What good does it do?

"_A nicely done assist from Walker-Jones, and its Nicolson, Nicolson diving for the ball. He's racing down the pitch. Ladies and Gentlemen, this could be the- AND IT'S A SHUTDOWN! A very cleanly done steal from Payne there! Payne takes the ball…" _

The commentator went on and on in the same shouted tone, belting out some sort of strange football-language. Shutdown? Assist?

Jacob and Seth seemed to be widely into it though, screaming at the plasma TV when the commentator roared _"And the double team was averted by Ashworth!"_ I was surprised they hadn't seriously harmed the furniture.

Feeling tired, I absent-mindedly rested my head on Jacob's warm shoulder and began to close my eyes, when I heard a sharp intake of breath from behind me.

I turned around to see Dad walking out of the living room.

Why was he acting like this lately? What did he have against me being with Jacob? We were just friends!

I tried to put the mental image of his angry expression elsewhere, and went back into my position next to Jacob, but this time not resting on him, and attempted to drift into unconsciousness.

Any sort of rest would surely be easier than wondering why my father could possibly be so angry that I was sitting with my best friend.

_No, you are being silly,_ said a voice inside my head, _he was probably angry about the football or something else. He likes Jacob. Doesn't he_

I was about to fall asleep, when I heard hushed voices upstairs. I doubted Seth and Jake could hear them over the noise. I strained my ears.

"_It's not right!" _said an angry voice that I hardly recognized.

"_They're friends, Edward, she's just a child, you can't stop her from being with her friend," _I recognized that voice.

It was Mum, and she was trying to sound soothing, but I could here the hidden rage beneath that tone, and from what I had heard, that rage was because of Dad.

I stood up, with a murmured 'I'll just be a second' and walked slowly up the stairs. Trying to make as little sound as possible, I stood outside my Dad's old bedroom, where the voices seemed to be coming from, and pressed my eye to the keyhole.

"Edward, she is our daughter! She can spend time with whoever she likes!" Said Mum, an impatient tone now entering her voice.

"I thought you were against it too! And now you are all for our daughter getting together with that mutt!" he hissed.

His face was contorted with rage, and I felt horrified at how him and mother seemed to be having a fight!

"Don't call him that!" she retorted, "Whether you like it or not, Jacob is a part of our family now," she was starting to sound desperate I thought that you and him were friends?"

"You used to hate the idea of him being with our daughter!" He shouted, acting as if he hadn't heard her. Mum took a deep breath.

"Edward. When I first found out, I was angry. You know I was. I didn't want our daughter to end up with a man who was only a few years younger than me, of course I didn't, not at the time.

"But come on Edward," she said, a hint of exasperation entering her tone now, she threw her hands in the air, "Can't you see them together?!

"He makes our daughter happy! And if anything will make the fight easier for her, I don't care what the hell that thing might be!"

She took a deep breath, as if to steady herself, and continued in a softer tone, "Look, do you honestly think that Jacob-"

"He wants to be together with our daughter! Doesn't that bother you?" He said, seething.

"Tell me Edward, has he ever, _ever _thought something inappropriate about our daughter?" She asked, sounding angry.

He had no answer for that, but bitterness glinted in his eyes.

"She is beginning to like him too, I can see it. I can hear it too." My stomach tightened.

"You can't seriously be blaming her!" Her brows furrowed, giving her a scary-looking expression, "It's as much in her instinct as her! Neither of them can help it. Surely you can see that!"

"So you still side with the mutt!" snarled Dad.

"No, Edward," Mum said, and this time her voice didn't display an emotion, but it was final, "I side with our daughter. And you should too."

Dad looked stunned, and then anger crossed his face.

"Are you saying that I don't love our daughter?" he roared.

"No," she yelled back in an equally aggressive tone, "I'm saying that your judgment of Jacob is outrageous. You know, he used to say that you were playing a game for me, and I always stood up for you!

"But now I see that he was right. You won Edward! Jacob wanted me to be with you, he gave in just to make me happy! Even though it hurt him in ways I can't describe.

"He gave up his brothers just to protect me and your family, who he hated! He went against his family for you! Then when he did all that, he could have just walked out of here, and left me with my new life! But, no.

"He stayed here and let me be best friends with him, even though it was against every fiber of his being. Just because he thought that it would hurt me if he went. Just to make me happy!

"Then we put all of the people he loves lives in danger and he supports the daughter of the women he used to love and the man who she chose over him,"

When she next spoke her voice was calmer, but it sounded slightly broken, "And you still can't trust him?"

Her expression was almost sad, and a bit pitying. He however, looked thoroughly offended, and then more rage crossed his face.

"You seriously think-" he began, bottled up rage clear in his tone. I didn't understand how he could still think of a reply to that. Didn't he feel some trace of guilt at all? He was clearly going to fight to the bitter end, but Mum help up a finger to silence him.

"Just wonder if you want your want your daughter to think of you as supporting, or the man who kept her away from the person that she loved. Think which man you want to be."

I barely had half a seconds warning before I heard her coming towards the door. As quickly and silently as I could I raced downstairs and jumped back on the sofa, ignoring Jacob's questioning glance.

I tried to focus as hard as I could on the little people running around on the TV.

"_And it's a corner kick! Mustaff kicks… and it is out of the ark!"_

I tried to make sense of these meaningless words, and try to put some meaning to them, but they seemed so un-important I wondered how Jacob or Seth could be so raptured by them.

There were so many, many more important things than the fate of a football team.

I simply couldn't. my head was still brimming with the mere information that my parents had fought.

I was angry with my father for not trusting me, but I knew that I deserved it. When will I stop hurting people for no reason?

But much stronger than the anger I felt towards my father, was the way I felt towards my mother.

She had showed amazing compassion for me. She had protected me over the man that she loved, even though I knew that deep down she didn't really want me to be with Jacob.

I couldn't believe that they could do this! My head was burning with images of them, so unlike anything I had ever seen before.

Never before had I seen such hurt cross my mothers face, never before had I seen such anger on my fathers.

I imagined us as magnets.

That my father was negative, and my mother was positive, unstoppably drawn together. But I was messing everything up.

I was positive on one end, negative on the other. If you put the magnet facing differently, so that they look like a cross, everything is fine. But now I had turned myself around.

I whether I was attracting my mother and repelling my father, or it was the other my round, I was just pushing them further away.

Once you threw in Jacob, you had a nightmare.

"Are you ok?" came the voice of my mother from behind me. I jumped to hear her so close. Her voice was calm and chimed like bells as always, it was almost near impossible to hear her shouting at dad in that shrill voice.

If I hadn't gone upstairs I would have never known something was wrong.

"Yes," I said. My voice sounded like a croak. I couldn't even turn to face her. I knew that my expression would alert her that something was wrong, or even scare her.

I don't think I would be able to hide that fact that just seconds ago I had heard her screaming to defend me. To defend Jacob.

"Are you sure?" this time it was Jacob who spoke, turning away from the soccer and looking at me with genuine concern and worry on this face.

There was a small hiss from upstairs, and I saw Mum wince, but Jacob didn't seem to hear anything.

"Yep," I said, trying to sound confident, and failing, but before anyone could interrupt I said "I'm just a bit tired. I think I need to go to bed."

And before anybody could protest, I sped out of the room.

I was lying in bed, and thinking about how I could possibly make sense of the mess I had created.

_Selfish_, I thought to my self, _you've made your parents fight, and you've created a huge mess with your best friend._

Outside my white-framed window, the night was dark. There was no moon, and you could barely see the stars.

I wonder if someday I'll look at these stars, and feel comfortable with them watching over me. Now I just felt that they were judging me.

Coldly looking down at me saying _'you've messed up everything' 'why would you ruin everything' 'your mother trusts you and you eavesdrop, and don't even try to protect her'_

I closed my eyes, as if that would shut out my conscience.

My door creaked, ad I saw my Mum peeping her head around the corner of my door, checking to see if I was awake. When I gave her a weak smile, she came in and sat on my bed.

"You were acting really strangely tonight. What's wrong?" she asked. I felt so touched by the worry displayed on her face, I thought I should tell the truth. Well, some of it at least.

"Jacob." I said simply.

She seemed to know what I meant. She nodded sympathetically.

"You know whatever happens with him and you, I will always support you." I noticed how she was very careful not to say _'me and your father will support you'_.

"Between you and Jacob, things will happen. But your must never, ever feel like it's wrong. Do you promise?" She said.

I was touched. She cared about me so much, and I was lying to her. Guilt curled in my stomach.

I wished that I could trust myself as much as she seemed to.

I looked up at her to see that she was still waiting for my reply

Could I really swear that I wouldn't blame myself?

"I promise," I said, and forced the corners of my mouth to curve upwards into a forced smile.

With a quick hug, she left the room and turned out the light.

I heard her go into her room, though I wasn't quite sure why, as she didn't sleep. I lay there for hours before I heard Dad come in. I didn't hear him open the door to Mum's room.

I lay there thinking.

How much damage had I done to their relationship? I don't think that it was permanent, but now it was serious. And with the approaching fight, it was critical that they make up.

I thought about what I had said to Mum.

"_I promise."_

When was I going to stop lying?


	26. Chapter 25

25. Reminisce

BELLA'S POV

I peered round the corner of her door.

Renesmee had been acting really off. At everything somebody said, or every noise, she twitched away from the sound. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, but she seemed to be something else than the boring football match.

I was really worried.

What could possibly force this reaction out of her? Was she feeling sick?

Seeing her now only enhanced my concern.

She was curled up in a tight ball, hugging the blanket to her chest. Her eyes were squeezed closed so tight it must be hurting her. Her skin that had seemed to become paler and paler over the last few days was now scarily white. Prehaps even whiter than mine.

There were black bags under her eyes that suggested she hadn't slept in a long time. She looked like she was sick.

When she saw me looking at her she gave me a small smile, that didn't exactly reassure me. It was much to forced.

Whenever she kept a neautral expression it was near impossible to tell how she was feeling or what she was thinking. But when she pretended to feel something that she wasn't, she was like an open book.

I walked over slowly to her bed.

"You were acting really strangely tonight. What's wrong?" I asked her, coming to sit on her bed.

She seemed to think this through for a while.

"Jacob." She said.

I nodded.

Of course.

How could I be so stupid!

She must be so confused. All her feelings for Jacob must be really overwhelming. She couldn't know what to feel about him. I can't bear to think about how complicated it must seem to her.

She was only three years old and she had to deal with her and her family being in mortal (well, sort of) danger. And on top of it all her best friend had suddenly been shown in a different light.

I didn't want to think how she would feel if she knew that me and Edward had been arguing.

Thinking that gave me a small pain at the bottom of my stomach.

I quickly put it out of my mind and tried to think what to say next.

"You know whatever happens with him and you, I will always support you." I began, "Between you and Jacob," I tried to think of a way to phrase what I meant. I settled on "things will happen." She seemed to take this in, not seeming surprised, "But your must never, ever feel like it's wrong. Do you promise?" I asked.

She looked down at her bed, and for a second I was scared that she would say 'I can't promise that' or just 'no'.

She seemed to contemplate this, and eventually she took a deep breath.

"I promise," she said, giving another of those painful smiles.

I gave her a quick hug, and went out of the room.

When I had stepped out, an odd thought struck me.

Without Edward I simply had no idea what I should do.

_Without Edward,_ the words echoed in my head. No, I wasn't without Edward. We had just had a small fight.

Though we never sleep, night is sort of a 'resting time'. It is much less active, even though the idea of our bodies needing 'rest' or 'peace and quiet' was not far from ludicrous.

I walked into my room, not really sure what I would do there.

I thought that maybe now might be a good time to look through the clothes that Alice had bought me what seemed like only three seconds ago. It couldn't be three _years._

I opened the huge doors and faced a task that was very simple, yet would probably take an hour, even with my super-speed.

It wasn't too hard to decide.

In endless bags with names like '_Prada' 'Gucci' _(that Alice was constantly telling me to pronounce 'Goo-chee', not 'gucky') _'Armani' 'Ralph Lauren 'Channel_ ' _'Balmain' 'Burberry'_ and _'Balenciaga'_, It was near impossible to find anything _not_ to throw out.

In the end I was left two plain white t-shirts, a lovely blue blouse, a pair of jeans and a short creamy-beige skirt.

When I was looking at the back of the huge – now pretty much empty – room, I found a brown box. It was hidden under a hot pink cocktail dress, but part of it's corner was showing.

I bought it out and carefully placed it on the bed.

What would be in here? It couldn't be shoes, Alice had them all piled up in a huge box, and I suspected that she had another box somewhere, full of spares.  
Gently, I took off he lid.

Inside there was a picture of a teenage girl. She had long brown hair, and pale pink skin. She could have looked normal, apart from her eyes.

In them was such glorious happiness you could hardly look away. They practically set her normal-looking self on fire. Even from this slightly faded picture, it was blinding.

She was wearing a beautiful white dress, with a flower-like pattern around her sleeves. It trailed gracefully on the ground.

Next to her was the most beautiful man in the world.

Even she was nothing next to him. Every single feature of his looked like a masterpiece carved by angels. You could have easily mistaken him for being a marble statue, exept he had the same expression that made it clear he was in complete ecstasy.

It was us on our wedding day.

More memories flooded into my head.

_A van was coming towards me at a blinding speed._

_I closed my eyes, knowing that it was hopeless to even attemot to move._

_Cold hands grabbed me. They were too cold. _

And another.

_His perfect was face was calm, his eyes closed shut._

_His body was shinning with the light of a million fireflies, even though in this meadow it was one of the brightest days Forks had ever seen._

_My heart raced as I said the final words that would forever seal my fate._

"_I do,"_

I knew now that it was just a fight. I had thought – rather ignorantly – that him and Jacob had put their differences behind them and tried to be friends. Of course, I had been wrong.

They may be able to co exist, but they could never be _friends._ Edward would always disgust Jacob, and Edward would always be prejudice against Jacob. They could exist peacefully, but the tension would always be there.

Nessie finding out about the imprint had been the final straw.

How could Edward want his daughter to be with the man who had once loved his wife? It was against pretty much everything he believed in.

Of course, it didn't mean that he loved our daughter any less. Of course not. It just meant that his hate for Jacob was strong enough that he didn't quite realize that he would rather have his daughter happy than her best friend gone, and never allowed to see her again.

It was just a fight. Nothing big.

How could we make it seem serious as we had?

For a few hours, I thought how I could apologize. I didn't really _want_ to apologize. I had been right in most of the things I had said – even if I did exaggerate a bit -, he had been stubborn.

He just hadn't wanted to admit that his love for his daughter was stronger than his hate for his natural enemy.

I heard the rushing sound of the wind warping around a speeding vampire approaching the cottage. I almost smiled. That would be Edward.

I would say that I was sorry, and he would apologize and everything would go back to normal. Apart from the coming fight, but even that seemed less important than me fighting with Edward.

Imagine that. I fight that would decide the fate of the vampire race seemed more trivial compared to me having a fight with my husband.

The front door creaked open. I waited.

He didn't open the door.

_Of course,_ I thought to myself, _just because you are ready to make up, it dosen't mean that he is. He's probably still angry at you._

I was determined that we would put this behind us.

But was he?


	27. Chapter 26

26. Dream

_This forest was dark._

_I suddenly realized that I was running, branches were flashing past me at an amazing rate. Beside me was a trickling bourne._

_I looked around me and saw that my parents were running on either side of me, smiling._

_The beauty of this moment overwhelmed me, and I felt great happiness._

_But the happiness was odd._

_It wasn't exactly the happiness itself, it was the way I felt it. It didn't feel like a great relief to feel so happy, it felt like this happiness was not entirely out of the ordinary, like it was almost 'common' for me to feel like this. _

_I looked over and saw that the river seemed to be overflowing. I stopped running, and my parents followed suit. Curiously, I looked over the river._

_And then I was falling._

_Water was all around me and I couldn't breathe. It wasn't the lovely sky blue color it had seemed from the other side of it. _

_The blackness consumed me and if I weren't actually drowning I would use it to describe the way I was engulfed in this harsh blackness._

_It felt freezing, worse than ice, worse then my parents' hands. Worse than everything._

_My lungs were filling up with water. I was dying, I was drowning, and I was gone…_

_Hands grabbed me and were pulling me to the surface. As my head broke the top of the water I was gasping desperately for air. I lay on the floor of the forest, coughing and trying to calm down._

_When I could breath again, I opened my eyes and saw that my parents were nowhere to be found. Panicking, I stood up and tried to see them._

_Then I heard the splashing of water._

_I ran over to the river that had hugely expanded and saw my parents._

_They looked like ghosts. Their pale skin when surrounded by water seemed like a very light shade of blue, and their golden eyes looked green. They didn't look like they were drowning. They weren't flailing their arms about, trying to get to the surface, they were frozen, still unmoving._

The sunlight threw sharp beams of light onto my face. I blinked over and over telling myself, _it's just a dream, _but I couldn't stop shaking.

Why had the dream been so scary?

There were so many logical flaws.

How could my parents drown when they didn't need air? Why would they be kept under the surface of the water when they were easily able to lift a cement truck? Surely fighting small ripples on the water shouldn't be so hard?

Rivers couldn't expand! That was impossible! And my parents saving me from drowning shouldn't reverse the situation, should it?

It was so flawed, and so terrifying.

Maybe one of the reasons it was so scary was because it showed my parents so vulnerably. Though I felt slightly ashamed to admit it, I didn't worry about my parents as much as I probably should.

With their impossible hard and granite-like skin, their amazing strength and their incredibly expeditious speed, I had never felt the need to be more concerned for them as was practical.

But this dream had showed them in a completely new light.

They had been too weak to overcome water, so dependent on their lungs that they drowned.

But the worst part of the dream was that it was my fault.

They had saved me and drowned in the process. And then when they were submerged they didn't even ask for help. They just let me watch them float to the bottom of the river.

Perhaps it was the feeling of such responsibility. In that dream I had been completely in charge of my parents _lives._ Possibly, the dream had been a way of me telling myself not to take such responsibility, like my mum had said.

I wondered how old I was.

If other people had heard me thinking this, they would assume I had gone mad, but to me I just simply didn't know.

Other children could simply take their age and say 'I'm big for a nine year old' or 'I'm small for a twelve year old', but of course I couldn't do that. Well, I could say that I was just very, very, _very_ big for a three year old, but even that would be an understatement. About what age did I physically look? Twelve, or eleven? I decided on twelve.

But the hardest one was what age mentally. When I said this, I meant how mature I was, When other people say I they may have meant 'you're a twenty year old trapped in a nine year olds body', but it was much more complicated than that.

Maybe I was twenty? Thirty? Forty? Fifty? _Sixty?_

My head buzzed, and I shook it in a vain attempt to clear it.

Again, I shook my head, and decided to get ready for the day.

Darting over to my wardrobe, I pulled clothes over my head, not knowing what they were, and not caring. I just wanted to _do _things, anything to keep my mind off the dream.

Running into the bathroom, I brushed my teeth in a quick blur, and got my hairbrush. When I turned to the mirror, I almost gasped.

I looked so _different._

Around my eyes were huge black circles, and huge frown marks. The last time I had looked in the mirror my face had looked like one of a normal, happy ten-year-old. Now I looked like someone who had suffered a thousand sleepless nights, and a hundred years of pain.

My once bouncy bronze curls now lay flat around my face. When I pulled one of them they had once bounced back up, now they stayed in the same place.

What had happened?

I sped towards the house, trying to put what I had seen behind me. Why had it been so scary for me to see what I looked like?

No wonder my mother seemed to be worried about me. Of course I would have had to mature mentally over past couple of days. Who wouldn't?

It made no sense to be surprise that I had changed physically too. I would have matured fast physically even if I knew a fight was coming. A fight that would determine my entire future would come, and I still didn't know what to do.

If we lost, what would I do? I'd be safely up the mountain with Jacob.

Should it not make me feel bad to know that all I really cared about was Jacob being safe? With me?

_Don't think like that, _I thought to myself,_ of course you care about your parents' safety!_

But I already cared about Jacob more.

I knew I loved him now.

I knew that nothing could stop me loving him. Whether that was my father's disgust, my Mum's clear resentment or anything else the world could throw at me.

It wouldn't be a surprise if I found out that I had loved him all along.


	28. Chapter 28

27. Charlie

I was in the house.

Right now, Rosalie and my Mother were having an argument about whether it was safe for me to see Charlie.

Personally, I didn't think there was much danger. Carlisle had said that he was acting similar to how Mum had when she was a new born. This had fascinated him.

If you were more controlled when you were told what would happen first, there would be so much more control for newborns, and that meant that there would be less executions.

Apart from this being wonderful because people wouldn't be dying needlessly, it would give the Volturi less power.

The reason (according to Carlisle at least, and he was right about most things) that the Volturi had become so unstoppable was because they had power.

When he stayed there, he had noticed that every time there was an execution (or a murder, depending how you saw it) the guards would get just a bit more scared of them, treading just a little bit more lightly.

After years of people assuming that they had all the power, they finally had.

That was part of the problem.

Not many people realized how much strength the Volturi had. They had only been warned of their brutality and amazing supremacy, and each time the legend had been it had become slightly over-emphasized.

Nobody could know what they were really like, because if they ever got the chance to find out there was no chance of survival for them.

So when people thought that they had immense power, they immediately thought that it was hopeless to fight. For a few centuries this was how it had been, people not fighting because they had been told it was useless to even try to.

But now it had become reality _because_ that was how people thought it was.

Maybe now things would be different.

I had gathered from Carlisle that them getting rid of newborns was why the Volturi were feared so much. Because newborns were so strong and fast, they were near impossible to destroy, meaning that not only did people feel scared at their obvious power, they in a way almost _relied_ on them to get rid of the danger of losing secrecy.

It was quite clear that Volturi were beginning to crumble along with their castle.

However, even though Carlisle seemed to be with almost as much control as Mum had had, Rosalie was completely against me seeing him.

"It's too dangerous. He's only a few days old!" Rosalie said defiantly. Her eyebrows were concave, and they contrasted with her otherwise angry face.

"He's her grandfather, and he has as much self control as me. And he already knew her, I didn't. So he's much more used to her and-

"It's not safe! Of course _you _had self-control! She was your _daughter_," said Rose, sounding quiet mad now, and waving her hands in the air for emphasis.

Emmett, sensing where this was heading, walked swiftly over to her and put his arms around her waist, whispering 'calm down' in her ear.

"Why don't you care about her safety!" hissed Rose, ignoring her husband, "like you said, she is _your_ daughter, not mine! So why a I the one who feels like this?"

Mum flinched, as if Rosalie's words were causing her physical pain.

Dad was in the corner, and before now he had ignored this conversation, but when he heard what Rose said, his brow furrowed deeply, making him look angry.

Was he angry at Rose? Or was he worried about her upsetting Mum?

I still had no idea about whether he was angry at Mum. Well, the word angry didn't really fit in the situation.

I don't think there is a single word to describe the way that they were. They couldn't be angry at each other, because their love was much, much stronger than that. And Anger sounded too dramatic, yet in a way, anger wasn't serious enough.

If I didn't know my parents, and I had just happened to hear that fight, I would say t hat they despised each other, put it was obvious to that they didn't. Maybe it was because of my heightened vampire abilities, but I was able to notice the way that they weren't trying to fight at all.

It pained them to shout each other; it was quite easy to see. Whenever Dad would say a spiteful retort, he would flinch as if it was aimed at him as well.

I don't know how I could bare it.

* * *

EDWARD'S POV

Whenever you love someone enough, your pain becomes their pain, this I had learnt. And once that happens, life becomes impossible.

How can you hurt the person you love?

You are just hurting yourself even more.

Right now I felt like I didn't want to look at her. Yet I was also fighting the urge to look away.

Why did I blame her? It was only her natural instinct as a mother to defend her child no matter what, and her immortality would only have strengthened that yearning to protect.

When she was human, weak and so irresistibly fragile, she had been so ridiculously in love with the thing that was taking her life; she had protected it even though she knew that she was probably confirming her death by doing so. She had loved the child inside her so much.

To think of a strengthened version of that incredibly intense devotion strengthened, it was no wonder she had defended her.

That thought made me wonder.

Why was she the one protecting her from _me_? I would never forgive myself for trying to kill my own daughter. It was so odd to think about, yet really it made some sense.

On one hand, I didn't know how I could have ever wanted to

And I had always told myself that the only reason I had wanted to kill her was to save the reason for my existence, my wife, but the hate had been so strong, equal only to the immense feeling when I first smelt Bella's scent.

I thought the most intense feeling was hatred. But now I saw that the only thing that could make me feel that way was love.

I had loved my daughter too much.

I knew myself well enough now that I realized that I would have immediately tried to defy that love, because it was wrong. How could I love a thing that was killing the woman I loved?

Now the question was could I ever resent my daughter for something that was her nature? I'm don't really think I could. I just needed to realise that.

Because of this knowledge, I suddenly had the strange impulse to do something I hadn't done in what seemed like years; laugh. I looked up to see if anyone had noticed.

Alice and Jasper were standing close together; Jasper's arms were around Alice's shoulders, his head slightly resting on hers. Alice looked slightly frustrated, her eyebrows were deep set, and this made the rest of her face – which was smiling – seem off. Jasper however, seemed calm. His eyes were closed, his mouth just slightly curved upwards.

Rosalie was standing nose-to-nose with Bella. Her eyes were narrowed, a spark of something like disgust in her eye. Her upper lip was curved up in something that looked like a forced smile, and her teeth were gritted together.

She looked absolutely furious.

Bella's expression was hard to explain. There were so many words to describe how she looked. Angry. Sad. Frustrated. Hurt. Desperate. None of them seemed to fit.

I tried to look at her face, to see how she as feeling, but I was lost in her eyes.

They had the look in them of someone who had died. They were blank on the outside, completely cold, unloving. You would think that she would have lived a thousand years, lost a million loves, or been without a trusted friend on for years and years, but she was only twenty-two. Not one of these things could be true.

If I didn't know her, I would say that she was hard faced, serious. But I did know her so I knew that this was how she looked when she was sad; lonely.

Because of me.

I needed to find some way to make it up with her. But how?

* * *

RENESMEE'S POV

I looked into my father's eyes.

In less than a second, the bitter, harsh, cold look had completely vanished from his face. It had been replaced by hope.

Hope for what? For the future, for me, for my mother? I didn't know. I did know however, that at that time there could be nothing wrong with hope. It meant that this wouldn't be the end, even if we lost the fight, because there would still be that tiny flicker of life; that hope.

That's the most fundamental characteristic about hope; it never dies.


	29. Chapter 29

29. Mountain

I was sitting on a log by the river.

I had come out here, to the forest, to get some peace, some time with just my thoughts alone.

There was little sound, just the occasional rustle of tree leaves in the wind, and the small, rhythmic, somewhat comforting sound of the softly gushing stream at my feet.

Sunlight filtered greenly through the canopy of branches behind me, setting a hazy glow around me. He sky was barely visible through the treetops, but I was able to see a couple of grey-blue slits above me.

Thair air was odd for forks: sunny. It was exactly the right weather,

Everything was so peaceful; calm.

This must be what meditating was like, well; I suppose this was my very own kind of meditation. I didn't need to clear my mind; I just needed to be _away _from the things going through my mind.

Here I was finally able to think.

I looked back over what had happened since I knew about the fight.

Everything was so different, it was hard to believe it had only been about, what, a week? This thought stirred a memory.

_Alice's face was displaying horror. Her mouth was slightly open, and her brows were raised slightly in the center, dropping down at the corner of her eye._

_Only once had I seen that expression before._

"_When?" Asked Carlisle. His tone was completely flat and cold, but his eyes were closed, like he was bracing himself for the worst._

"_It is very sunny, almost unnaturally bright. There should be a weather forecast for that in a week."_

In a week. In. A. Week.

I stood up, as if by doing that I might be able to escape the fact that any moment now, a fight could begin.

My heart was pounding loud in my ears, and my breathing was speeding up to an impossible rate.

Just when I thought that the time had been going slowly, it had really been going incredibly fast instead. This situation had completely thrown off my ability to judge time. How could I have misjudged the time so?

My senses were on full alert, so I caught a tiny movement in the corner of my eye. I gasped and spun around.

There was a woman in the tree. She had bright red eyes, and long hair that reached down to her back. She was perched on the top of the branch, a bright red cloak surrounding her.

Her eyes were wide, and she looked almost scared. Her lips were slightly parted, but they curved upwards now, making her look even more petrifyingly sinister. Her eyes glinted.

Before I had time to scream she was gone.

I was completely frozen.

Surely she had to be from the Volturi, and if she was here that had to mean that the rest of them were coming. Coming soon. What could I do?

Should I go back to the house and tell everyone, and risk getting in the way of the fight, or should I run? No, no, I couldn't leave everybody. Never.

I spun around, and ran as fast as I could run back to the house. The wind rushed around me, and heat burned my forehead. I could barely see, it was like I was in a bubble. I could only notice my surroundings up to a meter away; everything else was just a blurry haze.

I caught a black dot behind me, and then I was plunged into darkness as a howl hit the morning air.


	30. Chapter 30

30. Mountain

I felt warm fur beneath my fingers.

Cold air was rushing around me, though my legs weren't moving. I could hear heavy, soothing breathing beneath me, and I focused on this sound.

For a minute or so – I wasn't quite sure how long as the breathing was my only way of knowing the time – I just lay there, on whatever I was on.

I opened my eyes.

I saw russet brown fur beneath my fingers.

"Jacob," I muttered.

Slowly, carefully, I lifted my head.

Around me, were snow-splattered trees, and soft wet ground coated in a thin layer of snow.

I clutched tighter to the warmth below me, the sight of the cold snow had made me realize that I felt cold.

I attempted to move my leg, but I felt a blinding pain that made me gasp desperately for breath, and I small panicked whimper came from beneath me. I decided I would try and stay still for a while.

Why was my leg hurting that badly?

I tried to remember why I was here.

I had been running, I couldn't quite remember why though. All I could remember was feeling horrible panic. I needed to get somewhere, and fast.

Suddenly, images flooded into my head like blood spilling onto a white carpet, seeping into my mind and contorting my emotions like a sick puppet show, controlled by what I had seen.

A girl was standing in front of me, her long hair blowing in the breeze, her red eyes boring in to me. I was running, the same thought repeatedly boring into me: _The Volturi are here, the Volturi are here, the Volturi are here, the Volturi are here._

I was running, faster than I had ever run before. Faster. _Faster._ My heart pounded in my ears, every beat drilling into my head. They were here.

The mountain landscape continued to rush past us.

So Jacob had taken me here, up the mountain, away from the fight.

I strained my ears, trying to hear some sound of fighting, and the silence that greeted me was even more terrifying that the alternative. How long had I been passed out for? Had the fight already ended? If so, why weren't we going back to the battlefield so that we could greet the survivors?

_What if there are no survivors,_ Hissed a sly voice in my head,_ What if we lost? Maybe Jacob saved you just in time, maybe he is trying to save you and run away with you._ Though the idea of running away with Jacob didn't seem so awful, the idea of us losing was awful, even though I had always known there was no chance we would win.

I was overreacting; there was probably a simple explanation.

I timed my breaths with Jacob, trying to calm myself.

I cautiously reached out my hand to touch Jacob face, incase it too would hurt. When it didn't, I touched his forehead thinking, _Are they here yet? _

He gave a small shake of his head, and I almost felt relieved. Almost.

How could I be relieved, when all the people I loved were still probably going to die? How could anyone?

Was it really that selfish for me to want just a few more days to have a normal life, with my family, with my friends? I wasn't expecting an answer.

I knew that we probably had hours before we would get to the top of the mountain, and before I knew I was falling asleep.

_It wasn't a dream it was a memory._

_I was by the fire in our cottage. I was tired, so I walked over to the bookshelf and tried to find something that would help me sleep._

_I found an old, battered yet still bright blue book, with clouds on the front. I opened it on a random page, and started to read._

"_There are infinite numbers between 0 and 1," _read the page_ "There's .1 and .12 and .112 and an infinite collection of others. Of course, there is a bigger infinite set of numbers between 0 and 2, or between 0 and a million. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities. A writer we used to like taught us that. There are days, many of them, when I resent the size of my unbounded set. I want more numbers than I'm likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for him than he got."_

I opened my eyes to a blinding white light, and immediately closed them again.

I thought about the dream I had just had. Now, I remember reading this book years ago, skimming over these words as if they were meaningless, but now they had meaning.

I had wanted too much for me, and for Jacob. I had had infinity, and a beautiful one too. Days filled with laughter, smiles.

Days where I would jump on Jacob back, and we would run through the forest, bounding over streams without a care in the world. I was a little girl who had everything in the world.

Of course, there were days of tears, days when I wanted to bury my face in a pillow and drift off to sleep, but my wolf had always been there to warm me, to cheer me, to enhance the dark with his beautiful, beautiful, glow.

And those days merely brightened the days that already shimmered like diamonds in the sun.

My infinity was perfect.

Was it such a surprise that it had to come to such a brutal end?

I couldn't have everything. I used to envy people with normal lives, and yet really I had had a normal one, in a way.

Most people's lives are full of ups and downs, but there are so meant that everything seems like it is the same. My life had had all the amazing moments in just three short years, and now I was getting the bad moments I had deserved.

Except fate was kinder than that. I had also had wonderful moments, and that showed how lucky I was more than anything.

This was comforting; though it was odd think that fate favored me in any way. I was so used to thinking that I was unfortunate.

My eyelids were starting to become incredibly hard to keep open. And after realizing this I drifted back into a dreamless sleep.

The jolting movement of Jacobs running slowed down suddenly, and I opened my eyes.

We were in a small clearing that was covered in snow.

Around the circular space were pine trees, big ones. In one corner of the clearing was a tent.

It looked like it had been there for ages, and was ripped and torn in some places. It was slightly lopsided, probably after being battered by the harsh wind that was howling at this moment. I don't know why but this object made me feel sad.

Jacob trotted over to it, and then knelt down, gently sliding me onto the partly soft ground. Even though he was being extremely careful, it still made me wince with pain.

He gave, a small whine, so I gave him a smile, to show him I was ok. I couldn't bear to see him in pain.

Slowly, carefully, I pulled myself up and managed to arrange myself into a makeshift sitting position. Jacob sat down next to me, resting his head on his paws, and I leant against him, feeling heat surge through me.

But after a few minutes, I was starting to shiver. Jacob turned his shaggy head to face me, deep concern in his eyes. I tried to give him a reassuring nod of my head, but my teeth shook.

Without another word, he got up and slid his nose under my legs, and after quite a while of trying to be gentle and not hurt me, he finally managed to have me draped across his back. He walked towards the tent.

The front of it was unzipped, so he carefully ducked his head and slid me onto an old sleeping bag. It was plain that he wouldn't fit, even if he hunched up as small as he possibly could be.

So he sat outside the tent, guarding me, even though he knew that no one was here yet. He was my guard dog.

After ten minutes or so, he rested his head in his paws. He must be so tired.

When was the last time he had slept? It must have been at least two days ago. He should rest now, we would be perfectly safe.

And, right on queue, his eyelids began to droop.

Then a howl pierced the morning, and they flew open again.

He stood up again, on all fours, and threw his head back and gave another long, mournful bay in return, and that was echoed far away at least ten times.

There was silence.

I crawled out of the tent, not caring how much my leg hurt; I needed to be near Jacob. He gave a soft growl as if to tell me to stay put, but I ignored him. I went and sat next to him.

There was silence, and I relaxed just a little bit. Then I heard it.

There was a rush of wind. It could only mean one thing.

I waited for screams to pierce the morning. I had known that this would come all along.

Now would be the time that they came.

Jacob nudged me back in the tent, and this time I obeyed.

He stood on his feet, standing defensively, though the sound hadn't come from nearby, had it? I shook my head. I didn't know how I could focus on things like this now.

The wind continued to rush, and I could barely believe it, but I felt afraid, even after all this time to prepare myself.

They were here. This was it.

They game had begun.


	31. Chapter 31

31. Cloaks

BELLA'S POV

There was a red haze on the horizon.

Now, all of the tension between Edward and me was completely gone. I couldn't bear to leave it like this between us, and I doubt that he could either.

It seemed slightly ironic that the only time apart from once there had ever been proper tension between us was the time that our tale would end.

Had there really been tension between us when he left? I don't think there had been.

Mist hit the morning like blades, sending chills down my spine, and I thought of my daughter.

She was there, up a mountain, and I was down here. I wanted to be with her. But I couldn't look in her direction, that would give her away. No, I looked forward.

The ocean of black and red moved forward.

It moved in time, swaying in the breeze, coming closer and closer. I had seen this before, the way they moved in symmetry, but it still amazed me. They were like one solid object, connected, bound.

"I love you," I said, knowing that this would be my only chance to say the words that had been weighing on me all day.

"Always," He whispered back, his voice like song.

JASPER'S POV

They moved swifter now, they were more than just a shadow on the horizon. They were real.

My head was aching with everything around me. Despair, grief, agony, and excitement, resent and, coming from the woman beside me, love.

I looked into Alice's eyes, and I knew that this was our way of saying goodbye.

There was no point in pretending that this wasn't the end.

If it had come to this, the final page, we may as well write 'The End'. For even if it wasn't, we would still know that if it had been, we wouldn't have left the other without the goodbye they deserved.

I thought of the first time I had seen her.

_The rain was pelting down like hail, so, not to look odd, I stepped into an old building._

_There was a partially lit up sign on the front that read _Mnami's Taer. _Some of the letters had obviously fallen off._

_As soon I stepped in, an amazing feeling hit me. This place was full to the brim of excitement, and I could smell vampire scent._

_I was about to run, when I saw a small, pixie-like girl sitting on a barstool. She turned to me, her face blindingly beautiful._

Alice looked at me, and I knew that we were both thinking the same thing.  
I could taste how she felt; her love was so strong.

I gave her hand one small squeeze.

EMMETT'S POV

I looked at Rosalie, who was standing next to me, her brow furrowed.

Though at this moment I had so much to be worrying about, all I couldn't think was how much I wanted to put my thumb on her forehead, and straightened out the lines.

I had to say goodbye.

She looked at me, and the message was clear in her narrowed eyes. _Don't you dare._ I smiled, of course, she would never want to finalize her death, or mine. She would prefer to leave our story open ended. And what a story it was.

_The creature pawed at me, it's claws like knives._

_I tried to lift my hand, and shove off the beast, but even with my strength I couldn't even move it slightly._

_I could here no one around me, and I knew that without help I would surely die. I thought of my father, waiting for me at home. It would be hours until he thought something was wrong._

_I thought of my little sister, Lily. How would she be without me? No child deserved to have her brother taken away from her._

_The bear pawed faster now._

_Behind me, there was a loud noise, like an angry cat, and suddenly the bear was running away. It stepped on my leg, and searing pain shot through me, as I heard a bone snap. I had no way of moving away from here, and the wet, cold, forest floor was not the best place to be._

_I could see a bright light around me, and knew that I was going to die._

_Of course, why else would a beautiful angel be approaching me?_

CARLISLE'S POV

I closed my eyes.

All my family were going

BELLA'S POV

They suddenly came to an abrupt holt.

What now?

I saw Carlisle take a deep breath. He would try to prevent a fight, of course, even though there was no point.

"Aro," Said Carlisle, then he stopped talking, not sure what to say.

"This dosen't have to happen," said edward, getting straight to the point, and not attempting to act like it was natural for the leaders of the vampire race to turn up.

"I told you," Said Caius, "The Volturi never give second chances, and certainly not third chances."


	32. Chapter 32

32. An Old Voice

Jacob had stopped howling,

There was silence down below us. I strained my ears and eventually I heard paws. Huge paws. Paws with brute strength, the paws of werewolves.

A knot of panic was in my stomach. There were werewolves. Here. I looked at Jacob for some sign that I was wrong, but I found none. His forehead was crumpled, and his eyes were hard.

The trees behind the back of the tent whispered, sounding like footsteps, and I was grateful that Jacob was with me. If those really were footsteps (though I knew that they couldn't be) he would protect me.

Jacob growled in a downwards direction. What had happened? Was someone injured? I didn't know. I think that it might kill me, not knowing what was going on.

The pounding footsteps continued. They were beating like drills in my head, controlling me, owning me, every pace towards the people I loved chipping away at my sanity.

Suddenly the footsteps stopped. I was relieved. Then the noise hit the air.

Pounding and beating and screaming and snarls and everything I hated. Hideous growling and howls.

Jacob was on his feet, and his eyes looked slightly crazed, his eyes darting back and forth, obviously watching the fight through the eyes of someone else. His mouth was opening and closing from him screaming orders in his head.

He must be in agony.

JACOB'S POV

Sam hurtled towards a big, black monster at a blinding speed, but the monster just moved to the side.

_Sam, _I said, _is everyone else ok?_

_Paul hurt his leg defending the brown haired female, Esme. Liam seems to be ok, but he's angry. Very angry._

_Thanks,_ I said.

I returned to my pack now.

_Robbie, Ace, Jayden, there is huge bloodsucker heading for Esme. Help Paul._

I saw all of them join Paul fighting for Esme. They tackled the leech to the ground and finished her off.

I looked behind me to Nessie. She was curled up in the tent. She looked onwards, towards the edge of the cliff. She looked worried.

My stomach ached, but I knew that I had to pay attention to the fight. I had to control my back.

_Jake,_ said Seth, _Is Nessie OK?_

_Yeah. Thanks Seth. How is everything?_

_There was a blood sucker heading for me, I managed to tackle him off. This is weird. I don't think that the Cullens can see what's going on right now, most of them are still watching the Volturi walking forwards._

_What?_

_Yeah, I know. Most of them don't even see the wolves; they just keep on staring at the Volturi standing in a line._

The pain in my stomach grew bigger. If they couldn't see the Volturi or the werewolves, what would they do if one attacked?

What about Bella? This had to be a trick by one of the royal vampires, so why wasn't she seeing them?

_Jake, they see them now. Wow, That's a relief._

_Hey, Jacob, _said Robbie, _That was a close one, I thought I saw someone-_

But I didn't have time to find out who that 'someone' was.

_Seth, back off! _I said. He was trying a tackle a wolf single-handed, and it was clear who was the strongest.

_Don't worry Jacob, I got it._ Said a voice I hadn't heard in a week.

A voice that made my blood boil even hotter than usual.

_What are you doing here?!_

_Did you really think I would let my little brother go undefended?_


	33. Chapter 33

33. Cold Claws

_Leah, Leah, Leah,_ chanted the voices in my head.

_What are you doing here? _I asked

_Look, Jake, I'm really sorry. I was angry. I didn't know this would happen, or I wouldn't have ever done what I did. _

_There's no excuse, _I said, _You put everyone in danger. You betrayed your pack! Do you think there is anything that could justify this! I thought you moved on from your old, jealous and bitter self. Were you not content with a pack that trusted you? Did you still feel bitter about Sam?_

If I was paying attention, I wouldn't have said those things. I was digging myself deeper into a hole, but I was past caring.

_Look Jacob, I can explain! You don't know what I've been through-_

_What YOU'VE_ _been through!_ My head was pounding, my heart racing

_Jacob, calm down. I didn't mean it to happen-_

_Oh! This is a real break through. So you 'accidently' told the Volturi that they had contact with a human, and you 'accidently' forgot to say that he had no idea what they where. You practically signed Nessies death sentence, and now it's an 'accident'?!_

_Jake,_ said Seth quietly, his voice almost a whisper, _You're not thinking straight. I know you're concerned about Nessie, but just hear her out._

_Concerned! _I snarled. I wasn't concerned. Every bone in my body ached with fear for her life, every time she spoke happily I treasured, because I had no idea if she would say something else to me that way. I don't really think that is concerned.

_Jacob, I know how you feel, _she said.

_You couldn't possibly know how I feel. _I replied.

_That's what I've been saying. I do. More than you can possibly know. I imprinted. _

There was silence.

When I say that, you might imagine there being absolutely no sound, but what I meant was that though the clawing and the ripping and the snarling went on, but the silence in my head was so loud that it drowned all of the noise out.

_What? _Said Seth.

Anger gripped me, it's red hot talons seizing me immediately.

_So that's it?!_ I said, _That's your excuse for all of this? You did it because you imprinted? I thought you wanted to!_

_Not on a bloodsucker, _she whispered, _it was that half breed from the amazon. Nahuel. I couldn't bear it! Then I started to think that it was their fault. He never would have come here if it wasn't for the bloodsuckers._

_I didn't think it would have this affect on you! _She continued, _I just wanted to do something to get back at them for doing this to me! You've got to realize that I wasn't thinking straight! If I had realized what would happen I never would have done it, not even back then._

_I'm sorry, Jake, _her voice was low, _I let my pack down. Can't you see now why I didn't want to come back? I knew that you would be like this. You have never understood me, and I never will either. I'm sorry._

I thought about what she said.

How could this have happened? I didn't know. Could I really blame her?

_Leah, _said Seth, _it's ok. Jacob will understand, he's just a bit hot headed now, he's not thinking straight. Give him some-_

_I don't need you to talk for me Seth. _I snapped. But I knew he was right.

However, I looked back to Nessie, and thought what she had been through, and I wasn't so sure.

NESSIE'S POV

I was huddled in the tent, my heart racing.

What was wrong? Was someone hurt? Who?

I shook my head.

I worried too much, as mum had always said. A normal three – or ten year old – would never worry as much as I do. Then again, no normal child would have this much weight on her shoulders

I wonder how mentally old I am. Twenty? Thirty? _Forty?_

I didn't think it is that simple. I don't act like an adult, though sometimes I feel like one. Besides, a grown up wouldn't make so many mistakes. Time and time again, everything I say, everything I _do_ only backfires.

I try to find out what's wrong with Jacob so that I can help him, and I end up making an even bigger mess. I keep how I feel about Jacob secret from my parents, and that makes them turn on each other.

I wonder if there will be a time where I will be able to be myself without making a mess. I think Jacob is the person I can do that with, the person who absolutely accepting of me. So why does he have to be the one that I affect the most?

The mountain airs made me feel both freezing and boiling. I ran my pale fingers through my bronze curls, and sighed.

Jacob seemed to relax, his shoulders slumped and his eyes closed for a second. Then he opened them, and carefully and slowly sat down. He turned his face to me, and though no human expression was on his face, it was clear that he was worried.

I gave him a small nod, and, reluctantly, he turned away.

I wondered if it was easier for him, being a wolf.

Maybe all the emotions were simpler, the animalistic side of you uncomplicating everything. Then I remembered that it was the wolf side of Jacob that had made him imprint on me.

No, everything was much more complicated.

I heard rustling behind me in the trees, and darted around only to see nothing.

JACOB'S POV

_Jake, _said Seth, _one almost got Bella! That was close. Edward only got there just in time._

I heard a rustling movement behind me. Never mind. It was probably just the wind blowing the leaves of the trees.

NESSIE'S POV

Jacob straightened.

Something wasn't right here, and it looked like he knew it too.

Suddenly, Jacob did a backflip in mid air, running towards me at a blinding speed.

Cold, hard, claws dug right into my shoulders, and all I could hear was my own piercing scream and the thud of someone falling to the ground.

"Jacob," I whispered.

Then I was consumed in a pool of darkness.


	34. Chapter 34

34. Gone

_Lost in the darkness,_

_Silence surrounds you._

_Once there was morning,_

_Now endless night._

_Deep in your silence,_

_Please try to hear me;_

_I'll keep you near me _

_Till night passes by._

_I will find the answer._

_I'll never desert you -_

_I promise you this -_

_Till the day that I die…_

_Lost in the Darkness – Jekyll and Hyde_

JACOB'S POV

I couldn't breath.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't _think._

She was gone. _Gone, gone, gone._

The words chanted sickeningly in my head.

Gone.

There was a stabbing pain in my heart.

My head was empty, but my body took over. My legs were running without my consent. Every muscle, every bone, _everything _in me ached, yet I carried on. Running.

Of course, it didn't matter. Nothing did. She was gone.

I couldn't see. I didn't know where I was. For all I knew, I could be tumbling of the cliff to my death. It wouldn't matter though. She was gone.

Death would be better. In fact, I was begging for death.

I couldn't think, I couldn't. I couldn't.

Words had no meaning. Neither did light. Everything inside me disconnected, and I floated up. My head was a balloon, oversized compared to my body. What was my head, without words to fill it?

She was _gone._

This wasn't pain; this was much, much worse. This was numbness. Numbness physically, and agony mentally.

All at once, everything connected again, and my legs faltered. I fell to the ground. Where was this ground? It rustled beneath me. Was I in a bed of leaves? I didn't know.

I felt physical pain now, but it allowed me to think straight. I stood up, and attempted to see. I couldn't. I needed to find her. That was the only properly formed thought in my head.

I had always felt connected to her, but recently she had become a part of me, and now she was gone. The wound stung like a thousand knives. She would be scared. Terrified. And I was doing nothing to help her.

I felt sick. Sick that I could have let this happen, and sick that the reason I hadn't was because something so trivial: talking to someone I hadn't seen in less than a week.

I pictured her brown eyes widen in pain. I saw her head shake with fear.

I shook my head. I had to think about finding her, if I thought about anything else I would lose her for sure.

I pushed my legs harder now. Faster, faster, faster.

I thought of the way that she had whispered my name. _"Jacob". _Her voice had faltered, and her eyelids fluttered.

The pain was too much. I fell to the ground, howling. The burning fire inside consumed everything.

It was dark. Everything was pitch black, everything was gone. _She_ was gone.

Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone.

_Jacob, _said a voice I didn't recognize, not any more, _Jacob, calm down. What happened? Jacob? Jacob!_

I couldn't reply anymore.

My life, my reason for existence was gone. Of course, she wasn't dead, I knew she wasn't, but that didn't make it any better. It made me realize that I couldn't find her, and she was in pain.

_She was gone._

That was my last thought before I fell into unconsciousness.


	35. Chapter 35

**Hi,**

**I am very very **_**very **_**sorry about the long wait!**

**Twilightbd2luver, thank you so much! I think that is the most positive review that I have ever got!**

**Marisa**

35. Missed

LEAH'S POV

Sometimes I think that there are two worlds.

In world there is me, the old me, me with simple emotions. I have a mother and a brother and a father, and I love all of them. There is nothing else. I have a simple life on the La Push reservation, I go to school there, and I have friends there.

In the other world, there is pain. Imprinting, wolfs, vampires, emotions, running, blood, pain, hurt, all of them jumbled together into the current me, the broken me.

Now I'm just Leah, the only ever female werewolf. The bitter girl who ruins everything, the girl who betrays her friends and her one shot of happiness.

The girl who killed her father.

I wonder if it could have worked out.

If I had got to know Nahuel, been calm, maybe this could have all gone right. I would be in love, even if that meant in love with a bloodsucker.

I thought of his face.

His beautiful features glowing, setting me on fire. He wasn't bad; he wasn't a bloodsucker or a leech. He was kind, caring, I knew he was.

Now he was god knows where, and I was stuck here.

The thought shot frustration through me, and my claws dug deep holes into the ground as I ran towards a 'royal' vampire.

_Jake! Calm Down! Can you hear me? Jake?!_ Said Seth.

Jacob?

What had happened?

More frustration. I hadn't been paying attention to anything!

_What happened?_ I asked him.

_I don't know… _Seth seemed lost for words; he replayed the noise of a child screaming in his mind.

There was a howl from the forest.

Oh great. Now we have to deal with a heartbroken Jacob? Perfect. Just what this _whole_ situation needed. I had enough of that when he was still hung up over Bella.

_Leah,_ Seth warned.

His voice was different.

He wasn't a small child anymore, he was a man. His voice was stronger, bolder, more assertive.

He had grown up.

Sharp claws dug into me.

I yelped, completely unprepared. I scrambled against the force, which I now recognized as a werewolf, and I managed to scrape my paw across his eye.

_Leah, Leah, are you ok? _Said Seth, and he was once again a child depending on me.

_Back up please!_ I said in attempt to make a joke out of it, but I really did need some help.

_I'm on it,_ said Embry, and, sure enough, in a matter of seconds another grey wolf was by my side.

I felt touched.

After I had betrayed them, put all of their lives on the line jut for a small, selfish reason they would still help me.

_You're my sister, _said Seth.

I was.

Slightly ironically, here, in the midst of fighting and death and violence was the safest, the most at home I had ever felt.

I would never betray my pack again.

Now the only real issue was the fate of the vampire, werewolf and shape-shifter races.

RENESMEE'S POV

Where was I?

I was in darkness.

I couldn't remember anything, and there was a pounding in my head.

I furrowed deeper in my brain, searching for what had happened to lead me here to this dark, cold place.

Jacob. I remember seeing Jacob.

I focused on that image. His hair was quivering, his shaggy brows furrowed. His muzzle was drawn back, but only slightly, it only gave away a small slither of his fangs.

His tail lay almost motionless on the ground, only giving away emotion by a small quiver. His long lashes were blinking very fast, making him seem agitated.

I could remember hearing a noise behind me, like a soft, quiet, muffled rustling. Like footsteps on snow.

More images came flooding into my mind. Cold hands grabbing me, Jacob throwing back his head, and falling to the ground.

My eyes snapped open.

I had an odd, short-lived moment of déjà vu as I saw a flash of green and white and brown pass by me. I tried to move away, but my limbs felt like lead, and attempting to escape was impossible.

I felt tempted to close my eyes again and drift back into the deep darkness, because the attempt to move had completely exhausted me, but I couldn't relax, not while I knew that Jacob was out there, and Jacob was in pain.

I could only move my leg an inch, and my head felt light, like a balloon. I felt dizzy, and my breaths were becoming more desperate.

I shook my head, and opened my eyes.

In the edge of my vision there was a small glimmer of the brightest light, but the rest was darkness. Someone had blindfolded me.

I heaved up my arms, using all of my muster, and tried to remove the thing that was obscuring my vision. Immediately, a cold object swatted my hand away, and something sharp dug into my leg.

"Don't move," whispered a voice that I had no way of recognizing. A voice that was silky smooth, every syllable ringing like chimes. A vampire.

"Who are you?" I asked, surprising my self by keeping my voice steady and strong, and for having the courage not to simply obey the voice.

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised when there was no answer.

The jolting movement continued below me.

BELLA

I was running faster than I had ever run before.

There was only one thought in my head. I had to find my daughter.

My legs carried me, though I had no idea where I was going. I was running through the forest.

I pushed my way through branches, not noticing when thorns made huge tears in my clothes or scratched my skin.

Suddenly, there was a woman in front of me.

She had dull red eyes, pale skin, and she wore a dark cloak. She was from the Volturi. She was running towards me.

I recognized her; she was the person who had been spying on Nessie and me. Well, she wouldn't get away this time.

Without thinking, I grabbed her and pinned her to the floor with a huge amount of animalistic strength

"What have you done with my daughter?" I said.

"I-I don't know," She said. It was so obviously fake. She knew where she was.

I dug my nails deeper into her shoulder

"Of course you do." I said. I felt so angry that a red haze clouded my vision. I wasn't me anymore; I didn't feel like my self. I was this new, angry person.

"I could kill you," I said. I meant it. I would do anything for my daughter, and one less mindless Volturi guard wouldn't make a difference to anything.

"I could rip you apart, limb from limb," I said. And I relished in the idea. I wasn't myself at all. I was just rage and fury and fire and heat and hate.

"I'm sorry," she said.

I blinked.

My legs were carrying me towards the field; I wonder why I had been out in the forest?

CHRIS'S POV

I was running through the forest.

If there was any way to repair what I had been doing in the past years, this was it. I needed to find the small child

A flash of white was suddenly in front of me, and before I had time to react, I was on the floor.

"What have you done with my daughter?" she snarled.

It was the woman I had seen hunting. She looked almost completely different, though. She wasn't as human as she used to be, in fact she seemed more animalistic than most of the guard.

"I-I don't know," I said, my voice faltering. I was not used to feeling afraid, I mean properly afraid. I knew that whatever happened I was a member of the Volturi, and the Volturi _never_ lost any battle.

Her sharp nails dug into my shoulders, and a growl built in her throat.

"I swear, I don't know!" I said, my voice stronger this time.

"Of course you do!" she snarled, then she paused, "I could kill you. I could rip you apart, limb from limb."

I knew what I had to do.

"I'm sorry." I said simply.

I focused all my power on her.

_You are going to forget about your daughter. You will go back to the battle field and fight. Your daughter is safe, she is fine, and you will forget you ever saw me._

She turned around and ran.


	36. Chapter 36

36. Running

JACOB'S POV

My huge paws pounded across the ground.

My claws dug into the ground, creating deep gashes into the ground, like scars on skin. My legs were the only part of me that I felt in full control of, the rest of me seemed strangely numb.

My head was slightly bent downwards, my nose sticking to the faintest imaginable trail. The stench wasn't strong when it was so faint, and it smelt weirdly like a mix of toothpaste and candy.

There was an ache in my chest, a hole where Renesmee should be.

I was going to find her.

I had come up with the logical solution of what had happened.

A member of the Volturi, a guard, had taken Renesmee no doubt. Now they would be running with her. That was ok. That was good. I could run too, I could run faster than most vampires.

I was going to find her. I would do everything I could; the key was to let my primal, animalistic instincts take over.

I shuddered at the memory of a time when I had shut myself down completely, gone wolf. Before Bella had got married.

I wondered what I would have done if I knew what was going to happen. Would I have stopped them, after knowing that Bella would be harmed?

Anyway, when I had let my human self disappear and my wolf self take full control, all my senses were heightened. I was stronger, faster, and my sight and my hearing were significantly better.

What if, even with my strength and sight and speed and smelling, I still couldn't find her? What if the leeches had already harmed her? What if they had ki-

No. That thought was unbearable.

I thought of other things, _anything _to keep me from thinking about that.

I would be strong; I would keep a steady mind. I would find her.

_I'm glad you calmed down. You were scaring me, Jake,_ said Seth, slightly startling me from my thoughts. I could hear the sincerity in his tone of voice.

_Sorry,_ I said, and I meant it. He shouldn't have to deal with me having some sort of panic attack while he was in the middle of dangerous combat against a powerful enemy.

That reminded me.

_Is anyone hurt?_ I asked, finding Renesmee had made me forget that I was meant to be guiding my pack through the fight. Anything could have happened. _How is Bella? Is she ok?_

_No one is hurt. Well, Jared got a scar on his forehead, quite nasty actually, it was from a werewolf, but it has almost completely healed now. _Said Seth, avoiding my second question.

_And Bella?_ I asked, feeling slight sense of dread.

_Weird,_ Said Seth, after a moments pause, _She was really desperate at first, she sort fell over a bit, but then she got up and ran straight into the forest. She looked a slightly crazed, really. _

_Where is she now? _I asked, not really sure I wanted to now, if it was good news, he would have told me already.

_Here, next to me, right in the middle of the battlefield. One minute she was running towards the forest, then, three minutes later she was here fighting. She didn't seem at all worried._

_What? She would never do that! She loves Nessie nearly more than Edward! She can't have just forgotten…_

_I know, it's weird, huh, _said Seth. His thoughts were slightly vacant, as if he was focusing on something else.

_Is everything ok? _I asked.

_Yeah, I mean…_ he trailed off into silence.

_What is it? _I asked.

_This thing with Leah imprinting on Nahuel, do you think it could work out? I mean, if Leah has been able to resist the pull-_

_I haven't been resisting it, _Leah interrupted, _Some of time I could feel a pull on me physically, and at one point it got so bad that my feet were moving me towards him even though all I know is that he's somewhere in the African-ish area. It was complete instinct and I had probably travelled twelve miles or so before I was able stop myself._

_Wow,_ Said Seth, _I guess that's why the legends says that the imprint and imprint-ee have to be together. _

I would feel sorry for Leah, but I still wasn't completely sure whether to trust her. She had betrayed us to our enemies, and i knew that it wouldn't be easy to pretend that it had never happened.

_I'm sorry,_ she said for about the millionth time.

_Any sign of Nessie? _Seth asked.

That thought made me worried, I had been running for quite a while now, and I hadn't seen a trace of bronze ringlets or a flash of golden eyes. Seth understood my silence.

_Don't worry, she'll be fine. You've been following that trail for ten minutes or so now, you will find her soon._

_But what if I don't_, I whispered, _What if they've hurt her already what if she's already… already d-_

_Jake, she won't be. She'll be fine. Think about it, there is no reason for them to kill her! She isn't a threat to them, physically or mentally. The only reason they would have taken her would be to get this reaction from us. They didn't know that you imprinted on her, or they wouldn't have taken her, especially as having an imprint in danger makes you faster, and stronger as long as it will help them._

_I know, but anything could have happened!_

A thousand different scenarios ran through my head. Renesmee, bleeding, screaming, crying, pleading, and each image was a blade to my stomach.

The beats my feet were making against the soil stuttered, as I nearly tripped over my own feet.

I evened out my breaths, and calmed down. She was fine. She was fine.

She had to be.

Suddenly, the sickeningly sweet smell of vampire hit me full on, and made my nose burn. I came to abrupt halt, and gave out a small whine of shock.

Cold hands grabbed me from behind, squeezing me in a vice-like grip.

It made me again compare this to the fight with the newborns again. Though this didn't feel as tight as the feeling when a wild newborn had crushed my bones, it still hurt manically.

I thrashed, and flayed about, but the arms held me tight, the scent of vampire burning my nostrils. I howled out.

_Jacob!_ Said Seth.

I heard some of my ribs crack and felt like screaming out of pain.

I opened my huge jaws, twisting my head almost the whole way round, and snapped down my huge teeth.

There was a hiss as the leech fell back on to the ground, and I took my advantage.

Standing on top of its stomach, I pressed my paws down on it's chest, making it immobile. I ripped of its arm, but before I could do any more damage I heard the sound of vampire running from behind me. And a fast-beating heart.

I turned round immediately, and followed it, not paying attention to the fact that a very strong, very angry vampire just happened to be behind me.

It threw itself on top of me, and then a sandy mass of fur was knocking it onto the ground. Seth had saved me.

_Are you ok? _He asked.

_Yeah,_ I said. I tried to hide the fact that I wanted to follow the fast heartbeat, because after he had saved me, it would be really rude to just leave him. Thankfully, he seemed to pick up on the direction of my thoughts.

_You go after her, I'll take care of it, _He said.

_Thank you,_ I said.

I began to run, but the beat had disappeared as if I had just imagined it.

Maybe I had.


	37. Chapter 37

CARMEN'S POV

This wasn't me.

Killing people, violence, it just wasn't me. I had never intended to harm someone before, and I didn't like the feeling. It gave me a weird sense of adrenaline for a second, but after that remorse shattered through my body.

I remember Carlisle telling me of the time that he had found a small girl during their fight with the newborns, she had been innocent. What if I had killed someone who had not intended to fight?

Even if the Guard had wanted to, that didn't make it right. They had been a human once, with friends and families, some would even have had children. They were of course different now, of course, but that was merely because of Chelsea.

She had made them feel attached to the Volturi; they hadn't made the decision by themselves. The decision to be a murderer.

If those people had not been changed, they would have lived normal live, and whenever killed one of them, it felt like I was taking a normal life.

That didn't change the matter that I had to fight though, I knew that I would defend my family if was a choice between their lives, and the lives of my enemies, it wasn't a hard choice for me.

Suddenly, I heard an awfully familiar voice. Screaming.

Without thinking, I immediately began to run in the direction of the noise. It was a complete reflex action, and for that I was thankful because if I had thought about it, I wouldn't have been fast enough to get there in time.

Kate was on the ground, her mouth open, her eyes bulging. Her hands were clawing desperately at the pure white snow, her legs kicking out desperately. I had never before seen her so utterly helpless.

There was a tiny vampire standing over her, her eyes a glowing red. She wore a black cloak that covered most of her skin, and it barely showed any of face apart from her eyes.

Without thinking, I immediately grabbed her, and ran a current over me, focusing all my energy on her. I pinned her to the ground, and waited for some sign that she was in pain, but she merely looked confused.

I pushed the current all of me, and every single fiber of my being was focused on making her pay for hurting my sister. Right on cue, there another scream from behind me.

Without thinking, I spun around.

All I saw was a canvas of snow and trees, no Kate. I hissed in frustration, then snarled in pain as two hands grabbed me from behind, seizing my throat.

Before he could crush my neck, in a flash of sand one of the wolves ripped of her head, giving me a small nod with his shaggy, yellow, head.

I ran off, now only focused on finding Kate.

As I ran, I turned my head as far as it could go in every direction, forcing myself to see her, where could she be?

I turned around to see Marcus. Something like recognition shot through me, as he smiled at me in a way that wasn't friendly, but wasn't angry.

In a flash, he fell to the ground as Kate smashed his head from behind. He grunted, seeming neither to be in pain nor to be angry. He gave a small nod of his head.

Kate fell to the ground writhing, she let out a bloodcurdling scream, and her arms flailed about. She didn't need to breathe, but she let out desperate gasps. Jane.

Sure enough, behind me appeared the small figure of the guard member.

I turned towards her, but before I was able to even come close to touching her, I was on fire.

Worse than the pain of transformation, every dead vein in my body was burning. I couldn't even see over the pain.

A thousand burning knives were piercing through my head; a million horses of steel were trampling on me. I couldn't think about anything except for the pain.

I couldn't hear anything, apart from a piercing scream. It was probably mine, but I simply could not tell. Any action that I performed now would only be a reflex; I had no control over what I did.

I was smoldering, and every second the flame got brighter, hotter, and stronger.

I didn't want one more moment of this pain, I didn't care if that meant death, in fact, I was begging for death.

In one second, the pain was gone. I was free from the fiery grip. I looked around, and saw Marcus on the ground, tackling Kate. Jane was nowhere.

I ran over to him. I ripped of his arm and his leg without thinking. This needed to end. He didn't fight me, in fact, he now watched as I destroyed him.

He watched me through hollow eyes.

"I never should have created you," He said. His voice was croaking and dry, it was obvious that he hadn't used it in years.

I looked up.

His face was reminiscent, almost slightly sad, though a smile was playing at the edge of his lips.

"What?!" I spat. He hadn't created me, I knew who did. The man that saved me. Had I really never learnt his name? He was faded in my mind, I couldn't remember his face.

"Three-hundred years ago?" He asked, "You were in your fathers tent. I came in there every night. Then, when you were injured, I did the only thing I ever could to save you. I bit you." He said, and an image flooded into my mind.

_I was being brought into a huge room. Three men were sitting on thrones in the middle, regarding me as uf they were bored._

"_Her crime?" asked one in the middle chair, fiddling with his fingers._

"_Failing to be obscure," Said the person on my right side, his voice was deep._

_For a second the middle one seemed to contemplate me, then he said, "Kill her."_

_I gasped, though I did not need to breathe._

"_No," whispered the one on his left. Both men turned to look at them, surprise in their eyes. The middle one held out his hand, but the left one replied with a simple shake of his head._

"_Very well," said the middle one, humor in his voice._

"_She must join us though," said the one on the right, he turned to the left one as if asking him to object._

"_Very well," he said. I recognized his voice then, but from where I wasn't sure…_

So it had been him. He had been the reason that I lived.

I froze where I was, unable to move.

Kate came behind me, and ripped off his head. I didn't have any time to react, and if I had, what would I do? I couldn't object, he was a member of the Volturi. In fact, worse than that, he was a _leader_ of the Volturi.

And he was dead.


	38. Chapter 38

38. Dropped

_I can't find her,_ hissed the voice of Jacob.

He was practically going insane looking for Renesmee, and it seemed unlikely now that he would ever find her.

I felt a twinge of regret as I thought of her. If I hadn't been so cold, so cruel to her I might have been her godmother. She looked up to me, at least she used to. I doubt she did now, not after I had betrayed her and her family.

Self-disgust curled in my stomach.

_Stop whining,_ came an annoying voice. This must be a new member of the pack; I had never heard the voice before.

_Come on, Mike, _Seth said jokingly, but there was a hint of warning in his voice that I hardly ever heard in his tone.

_She's not here,_ said Jacob. He was stressed out; but at least he wasn't completely having a panic attack like earlier.

_Don't worry Jacob. She will be fine,_ Seth was trying his best to be convincing, and though I could easily see through the lie, Jacob seemed too concentrated to notice.

A garbled scream hit my ears.

I ran towards the sound, knowing that this voice was familiar.

_Jake,_ said Seth, sounding shocked.

_What,_ said Jacob, _can it wait? I think I found her trail!_

_Jacob, _uttered Seth carefully, _It's Bella._

Through his eyes I saw the flashing forest freeze as he immobilized immediately.

_No, _he whispered, _no._

_Jake, I'll get there, _said Seth, poising to run in the right direction.

_No,_ said Jacob, his voice mentally faltering, _I- I'll find her._

_You have to find Nessie,_ said Seth.

_But I… I can't just leave her. I love… I used to love her._

Another scream hit the air.

It was clear that neither of them would be there in time, so I did the only thing that might redeem me.

I pushed my muscles further, even though every limb screamed in protest.

I finally saw her.

A bloodsucker in a red cloak was flying towards her in mid air, his mouth was open and his teeth flashed in the sunlight.

Time stood still, and I acted on instinct.

I dived in front of him.

"Leah," whispered Bella, and out of the corner of my eye I saw her mouth open.

I turned my head to face her. The girl I both hated and loved.

I had never meant to hurt her, though it seemed like that was all I did. Rejecting her when she met Jacob, and screaming at her when she was pregnant.

"_Don't you realize," I screamed, "Don't you realize what you are doing to Jacob! You're not only getting pregnant with the man he hates, you are killing yourself, and you don't even care! You can't just expect him to stick around to watch you die!"_

_Tears brimmed in her eyes._

"_It really hurts him that much?" she whispered. I laughed a cold, humorless laugh._

"_Hurts him?! It's _killing_ him!"_

I was brought to reality by a piercing in my neck.

"No," she screamed.

Cold hands were wrapped around my neck, choking me as fire coursed through my body.

It was agony.

I was conscious as every part of my body went numb, conscious as even them I was burning. I was ash; I was a meaningless grey pile, yet before my eyes clouded over I saw that there was still fur on my paws.

I felt cold hands around my neck once again, but they were colder this time, and there was no doubt in my mind, I knew exactly whom they belonged to.

Death.


	39. Chapter 39

39. Lament

"No," I whispered.

Her silky brown eyes no longer showed the agony they had before, and her limbs relaxed slowly.

I heard her heart falter, and grow silent.

Howls like silk floated through the air, sorrow and pain reverberated in every tone, because she was _gone_.

I closed my eyes, shutting out tears that would never come.

Leah had been so angry, so temperamental, but the one thing she had always been was certain. Real. That was why the thought that she was dead would always be impossibility.

I looked at her fur-covered face and into her eyes. I am not sure quite what I was looking for. The confirmation that she was indeed dead? Reassurance that she wasn't? Whatever it was, I didn't get it.

I received a cold stare, yet this one was unlike the ones she had given me before. This didn't show contempt, disdain, or, indeed, hate; it was empty, like staring into a huge, black void.

It wasn't emotionless, when I gazed into her eyes I simply saw nothing. The life that had been so sure, so utterly existent, had been put out like a flame.

I opened my eyes.

Alec still stood over Leah's lifeless remains.

Alec had killed Leah. His cold, brutal arms had been the ones to crush her body, his hands had been the ones to snuff out her life.

But that wasn't what made me so livid.

He was _smiling._

He had just ended a fragile, gentle, and more than anything: human life, and he showed no remorse at all. He _enjoyed _it.

I began to literally shake, my frame quivering with rage.

I looked into his eyes and for a second I thought I trace of uncertainty, of genuine fear.

I threw myself at him, snarling.

For the first time since I had become immortal, I genuinely wasn't in control. Fire pumped through my veins, but it wasn't bad. I enjoyed the pain. No, more than that: I _revelled_ in it.

It was like the pain of an itch. It hurt, but that was the good thing about it. Also, I felt no need to stop.

I felt no remorse as I tore Alec apart.

As he fell to the floor, flames engulfed him in a second.

The fire burnt larger and hotter every second, its scorching fingers seizing what had once been the Volturi guard member. They were only there for a short amount of time until he fire disappeared as quickly and cleanly as it had begun.

I turned around looking for the source of the blaze, and saw the familiar figure of a young man with jet-black hair, and a friendly face that was more serious than I thought I had ever seen.

"Benjamin!" I shouted, even though I knew that he would be able to hear me if I whispered.

"Bella," he said, and a mild smile curved at the edge of his lips.

"Why are you here?" I asked. It could hardly be coincidence that he had chosen to pay a friendly visit at the very time my family was in the biggest danger they had ever been in.

"Well, of course, when I heard that the Volturi would be paying you a 'visit'-"

"How?" I began. Benjamin cut me off with a smile.

"Really Isabella," he said, smirking, "Do you honestly think that when the most powerful civilization of immortals chooses to fight the almost only vampire coven that might be able to beat them, that it might not be known?"

He waited for my reaction, and smiled once again when I nodded in consent.

"As I was saying. When I heard that they would return, I of course said that we must go at once to help you! But Amun… wasn't quite as enthusiastic.

"So I told him that I would leave him if he refused to help you, but he still turned me down. So then I did. I left.

"I came here as soon as I could." He said, his brows rearranging his face to make him look apologetic.

I felt so touched. He had dropped his life, his _family_ to help me, even though he was risking his life by doing so.

That made me see something odd in his arrival.

"Benjamin," I said tentatively, "Where is Tia?" the moment I asked it I wished I hadn't.

His face fell immediately, and there was abruptly sadness in his eyes.

"She wouldn't come. Amun didn't let her, and he said that if she went with me he…" he paused, and whispered the next six words, "he said he would kill her."

For a second there was silence, until he seemed to wake up from his trance, and suddenly put on a very fake smile.

"But she's fine," he said.

I realized where I was all in an instant, and then I remembered what had just happened. Leah.

How had I forgotten?

"Bella," said Nahuel, concern in his voice, "where is the young one? Renesmee?"

"Jacob took her up into the mountains, she's still up there-" but suddenly I stopped speaking, because what I was saying didn't seem right.

Nothing I could remember suggested that she was in any danger. Nothing that I _remembered_. What if my memory was wrong?

Renesmee. She could be in danger.

Suddenly I remembered everything.

"_What have you done with my daughter?" I said._

"_I-I don't know," She said. It was so obviously fake. She knew where she was._

_I dug my nails deeper into her shoulder_

"_Of course you do." I said. I felt so angry that a red haze clouded my vision. I wasn't me anymore; I didn't feel like my self. I was this new, angry person._

"_I could kill you," I said. I meant it. I would do anything for my daughter, and one less mindless Volturi guard wouldn't make a difference to anything._

"_I could rip you apart, limb from limb," I said. And I relished in the idea. I wasn't myself at all. I was just rage and fury and fire and heat and hate._

"_I'm sorry," she said._

_She spoke again._

"_You are going to forget about your daughter. You will go back to the battlefield and fight. Your daughter is safe, she is fine, and you will forget you ever saw me."_

Before that.

_I was running faster than I had ever run before._

_There was only one thought in my head. I had to find my daughter._

_My legs carried me, though I had no idea where I was going. I was running through the forest._

And the most horrific memory that made me gasp even now, because never in my life could I ever imagine forgetting this.

_A child's scream pierced the morning, and I fell to my knees, full of agony, despair and disbelief._

"Bella?" Nahuels voice echoed in my ears, alerting me to reality.

"Renesmee," I said. He looked confused, and concerned.

"She's in danger" I said, trying to convey the truth, "The Volturi took her." My voice cracked, and Nahuel's eyes widened, but I didn't have time to explain.

I needed to find Edward.

"Nahuel, I need to find Edward." I said, trying to convey the urgentness of the situation.

"Go," he said, "I'll see if I can find him too."

I nodded, but I didn't really care.

I needed to find my daughter and prayed, prayed that it wasn't too late.


	40. Chapter 40

40. Arms

I think this was the first time I had ever felt truly unsure of Edward.

Why would he not have told me if our _daughter_ was in danger?

He must have seen it in someone's mind. He must know who had her and where they were!

I ran faster and it was as I was running that I saw him.

A pale brown wolf was lying on it's back, its eyes were the same as Leah's; glassy, white, blank.

How many more deaths would there be? How many more children's lives would end, merely because of my family?

I wasn't stupid; I knew what was happening. Many of the Volturi were dead, but we were losing.

I don't think there was really ever hope in the first place, but if our defeat would affect my daughter – if it would effect _her life_ - then I would be damned.

"Edward!" I shouted out.

He half turned his body to face me in a smooth, swift movement. His face displayed a mix of emotions; confusion, frustration, worry.

"What is it?" He asked, clearly alarmed.

He didn't know.

It was obvious by his face. I would have been able to tell if he had lied, I knew him too well.

But how?

I had never known anyone to defy his powers. Could this guard – who I now assumed was Chris, the one who had sent the werewolves – could her power have out ruled his?

I realized that Edward was still waiting for me to explain what was going on.

"Renesmee," I said, but I was unable to finish the sentence.

"Is she ok?" He gasped, and his eyes flashed with concern

I took of my shield.

After about four years of practicing I could do this with only a minor amount of pain.

I reflected the memories that I had only recently discovered, and every second his face darkened, his eyes widened.

When I had finished, he was still for about a millisecond, and then he whispered under his breath.

"What do we do," He was completely still as he murmured the words gently.

_"In our hearts we'll always be together," I corrected in a whisper as quiet as a breath._

_"But when the time comes today, you have to leave me."_

_Her eyes widened, and she touched her hand to my cheek. The silent no was louder than as if she'd shouted it._

_I fought to swallow; my throat felt swollen. "Will you do it for me? Please?"_

_She pressed her fingers harder to my face. Why?_

_"I can't tell you," I whispered. "But you'll understand soon. I promise."_

_In my head, I saw Jacob's face._

_I nodded then pulled her fingers away. "_

_Don't think of it."_

I knew what had to happen.

Renesmee had to run with Jacob.

She would have a normal life. She would have a house, a job and a family; I didn't care if that family was with Jacob.

She could finally be free of vampires, werewolves, myth, legend. The world that only existed in stories. That was all I had ever wanted for her, and she deserved it. I knew she did.

I removed my shield and watched his mouth set into a hard line.

"Yes." He said.

We were in an agreement.

Edward turned around suddenly.

"Bella," he whispered under his breath

RENESMEE'S POV

"Master will be proud," Said a voice as soft as a zephyr blowing through the trees. Soft as it was, it woke me from my sleep. Or was it sleep? I didn't know.

I kept on falling in and out of consciousness so I had no idea how long it was ago that I was with Jacob by my side.

_Jacob._ I felt I hole in my stomach.

My rest was very light, however. Just the smallest falter or ridge in the rhythmical steps and I would immediately wake up. When I was asleep, I could almost still feel the beats.

It was dark, and I could feel the pounding of feet hitting the snow getting slower every minute.

I had no idea whether this meant that whoever was holding me was getting tired or our journey was near it's end, and I wasn't sure if either of those were good.

I tried to move, but like all the other times my arms and legs stayed completely immobile, and the cold limbs that held me now locked them in place.

I tried opening my eyes, but their lids stayed firmly closed.

I could only feel something cold and hard, and a sort of velvet-like material, and that told me nothing.

The only sense that seemed of use to me was smell.

I could smell the alpine trees, the fresh snow and something that was faintly sweet.

And then I repeated the cycle once again and fell unconscious.

BELLA'S POV

_"Bella," he whispered under his breath._

"Edward?" I asked, alerted immediately but he was silent.

Now that I noticed it, everything was silent. Literally everything.

There was no more snarling, hissing. Just silence, apart from a quiet rasping noise.

For even the Volturi guard could not have predicted what Edward had just seen.

"Edward," I whispered, "What is it?"

He moved out of the way.

I closed my eyes for a second, because I honestly didn't know if I wanted to see what had caused an entire battlefield to go silent.

I turned back for a second and opened my eyes.

Esme had her hands clasped around her mouth.

Alice was frozen.

Jasper was clenching his head, teeth gritted together.

Carlisle was knelt on the ground.

Emmett, who was always jolly, had his mouth wide open.

Rosalie's lips mouthed 'no'.

And Jacob…

I could see him just ten meters away.

His face was bent back as if to howl, but a mere throaty breath came out.

There were tears in his eyes.

I turned around, and saw what I knew I must see, because only one thing could get that reaction from Jacob.

Renesmee, her eyes closed, her limbs loose, was there.

Lying in the arms of Jane.


	41. Chapter 41

41. I Have To Sacrifice

"Renesmee!" I yelled, and hurtled towards, blocking out all but only the most basic thoughts, because I _couldn't_ believe that after everything, she was dead. It was impossibility.

"No," said Edward, holding me to his side.

I stared up at him in disbelief. Was he mad? Blind? Did he have no comprehension of this situation?

He stared deeply back at my, his molten gold eyes pleading with me.

"She's alive. But I know what he's thinking," said Edward, casting an condemning gaze in Aro's direction, "If you try to attack, he'll kill her." His voice broke on those last two words.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a frantic Russet wolf desperately try to escape the harsh grips of the rest of the pack. Jacob's eyes were wild.

"Now," said Aro, his voice coated in a friendly façade, "This has gone on long enough. Why such tension between dear friends?"

I shook with anger and fear.

"What have you odone to my daughter?" I hissed.

"She is alive… but hardly. She is weak."

Jacob got free of the pack and charged towards her but before he had crossed more than a meter of the distance between him and Renesmee, Aro spoke.

"If you take another step towards me, if you try to if you make another move against me, I will kill her right here on the spot," His façade was completely gone, his tone was harsh and his voice incredibly fast.

"Your side is diminishing," he said, sugar coating back on immediately, "Your loved ones are mostly gone. Let this be a sign of my mercy."

"No more shall die. No more will be injured. "

Edward smiled, looking in Aro's direction. Surely he knew that this wasn't real? Surely he knew that Aro would never surrender his power in this way?

But soon the smile slid of his face, leaving shock

"No," said Edward. His eyes were wide, his mouth open.

"I ask one thing," he said, and the smile plastered one his face became more real and darker, "We will take the child."

A wave of emotions went coursing through my veins, and I saw red.  
My blood was on fire, and if I had I heartbeat I knew that it would be pumping deafeningly in my ear.

Jacob broke free of the pack, snarling and snapping his huge fangs.

His feet thudded like the beat of a drum.

His eyes were deeper than an ocean, full with anger and despair.

When he approached Jane, Aro stepped forward and with a flicking, nonchalant movement he flicked his huge mass onto a large boulder.

Cracks echoed throughout the clearing, and Jacob whined before his eyes flickered shut.

His heart was still beating, but his breathing jolted.

A deep voice came from behind me.

"This family has done you no wrong," said Nahuel," and yet you continue to fight them. What crime has been committed here?"

Aro smiled, "They exposed are secrecy to a human, one of are most absolute-"

"He is no longer human," said Edward, "he has been changed recently."

Aro's eyes widened, but he still kept the menacing smile.

"And where, I ask," he said, humor in his voice, "is the proof of that."

This got me worried.

We had originally planned to keep him here as evidence, but it was too dangerous. We had sent him away to a recently discovered coven that shared our lifestyle, now he was miles away, somewhere in Canada..

"I can show you," said Edward, his voice cool and calm.

Aro's smile dropped slightly.

"There is no time for that," said Aro, "We will go now."

"No." I said.

I knew what I had to do.

RENESMEE'S POV

I felt consciousness.

It wasn't immediately thrust upon me, it faded in slowly, gradually. It felt like a weight was being lifted off me, my chest was free, and my eyelids could open. They were crusted over, and were sore, but they weren't so much like a deadlock seal.

There was a millisecond when I opened my eyes and saw a snowy field filled with dark figures, but then I closed them again.

"No more shall die. No more will be injured," Aro's voice rang clear and sharp around my ears.

Had he heard how the beating of my heart was harder, how my breath fluttered?

"No." I heard Dad's voice, it was hard and stubborn.

_Daddy?_ I thought, praying that he could hear me. But if he did, he made no sign to show it.

"I ask one thing," he said, and his voice was dark, "We will take the child."

Me? Was he going to 'take' me?

A vision crept silently into my mind.

A cold room in Volterra, grey walls and bars on the door. Away from Jacob, away from my family. It would be a living hell.

If I could have shuddered I would have, but I couldn't. any movement would give me away.

Me opening my eyes would spark violence. I knew it would.

"No," whispered mum. Here voice was absolute, and for some reason made worry whisper in the pit of my stomach.

"I am awfully sorry," said Aro, but from his tone of voice it was clear that he wasn't.

The familiar whoosh of wind started and I couldn't believe it.

I couldn't believe that this was it. That I would just be swept away at the drop of a hat. Maybe it was ignorant of me, but I expected someone to put up a fight. Especially Jacob.

_Jacob, _I thought. Where was he?

He was with me on the mountain, what if something had happened to him?

"Wait," screamed mum, her voice full of impulse and fear.

"I'll trade. I'll come with you." She said.

"So will I," Alice said in a somber voice.

"So will I," Said dad.


	42. Chapter 42

42. Goodbye

JACOB'S POV

A fragile rose of a girl lay motionless in the grips of a deadly viper with red eyes.

I tried to move forward, but before I could get near enough to her I was flicked by a cold hand into a hard rock. I felt even number now, when I should be feeling pain.

Renesmee was still perfect, even unconscious. She was defenseless now, so weak and so fragile. I could not bring myself to look at her closed eyelids. I knew that I would imagine them open and that would only make the harsh truth harsher.

She was going. My sun, my life, my everything.

My greif was so overwhelming that I couldn't move. I sense feel the blood flowing from my chest. I couldn't see gashes on my legs. I couldn't feel the deathly pain.

_I'm sorry,_ I thought, though she could not hear me, _I'm so, so, so sorry I didn't save you. I let them hurt you. If I had been stronger you would be safe with me._

"Wait," screamed Bella, her voice piercing through my silent disbelief.

"I'll trade. I'll come with you." She said.

I had no idea what to feel, what to think.

It was either the woman who sacrificed her daughter, who used love me, that I used to love. The woman that used to be my one and only soul mate, The woman that I owed my life to, or her daughter who I would gladly give my life to in a heartbeat. The light of my life, the only person that kept me living.

I knew my answer. I could not lose Renesmee.

Alice cut in, with a voice unfitting to her usual pixie-like demeanor; it was dark and somber.

"So will I ," she said. I wasn't exactly best friends with her, but I had lived with her for years. She was my family. Not a sister, but a very close cousin.

"So will I," repeated Edward in a flat monotone. I did not know why, but this hurt me almost as much as Bella. For years I had resented him, hated him even, and now we weren't on the best of terms because of Remesmee. It felt like losing a brother.

Prehaps I was so used to him now that the tension had gone. After all, we had been living together for years.

Even after all this, I still didn't mind, just so long as Renesmee was safe.

Maybe that made me foolish, selfish even, but instinct took over. The power of imprint was stronger than anything else.

I prayed. I prayed that Aro would laugh and say 'Not enough' or 'Too late', because now I didn't care about myself, all I cared about was my family. But, of course, he didn't.

"At last," said Aro. Though I couldn't see his face, I could imagine the way that his smile would become genuine, his eyes sharpen.

"No!" I screamed, my eyes opening slightly. Though I yelled with all the passion, the might and the emotion I had there was no sound being released from my mouth.

I was immobilized by fear, I didn't even have control over my eyelids anymore, they were stuck half open, half closed. My brain seemed to glitch. If I was a computer, my screen would be black and etched with coding.

Because, after everything that had happened, all the love and the hate. All the lies and the promises, I simply could not believe that this was it. That in an almost anti climatic second, my aunt, my father and mother would simply disappear.

My surroundings were becoming less and less contrasted as a dimness was creeping at the corner of my eye.

I saw the shadowy figure of a woman turn to a sleeping girl. A girl who was barely conscious, a girl who was beginning to swim in a dark pool of darkness.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and then there was nothing.

Nothing.


	43. Chapter 43

43. Back

JACOB'S POV

We stood statue-still on the battle field.

What now?/ Did we simply go back to the house and do nothing? Should we accept that they were gone?

Renesmee lying motionless on my back was the only thing that made me strong enough not to break down.

I wondered if I regretted this, and I felt ashamed when I realized that I didn't. Because of Renesmee. If this had never happened then she wouldn't have known about the imprint.

She had grown so much. She had been toughened from a small, innocent little girl into someone so _real_, and so grown up.

Of course, this is how it must be. I can't have everything. I have to give up the woman I used to love for the girl that I know I will love… I suppose that that was what this was all about: what would I be willing to give up for one girl. With Bella it had been my pack and my family and old tribal law. With Renesmee it was everything. Bella had been more than a girl, but Renesmee could be anything. I just didn't know yet. She could be the one who made m life worth living, or she could be the one that made me lose it, but our fates had been permanently intertwined since that one night when I saw an innocent child in a blonde vampire's arms.

I wonder what would have happened if I had simply walked out the door after seeing her lying motionless on that bed. I could see it now.

I was walking and then I was running and then I was sprinting on all fours. I would run indefinitely. Maybe one day I would find someone that I could love as much as her, or maybe I wouldn't.

Before I had regretted imprinting on Renesmee, but now I thoroughly cherished that moment, because without the imprint there was no one that could ever be truly ;loved by me.

A thought struck me suddenly. The love that I had always felt for Bella had been almost surreal; at the time it had almost been too strong for belief. What if Renesmee had always been my destiny? All that time could I have been sensing the potential imprint years in advance?

I suppose that thought should have made me feel better about Bella's absence, but it didn't.

I was brought back to reality by a silent sob, that was so unexpected it almost scared me, because I h ad never heard Jasper cry. He was so silent and certain and unemotional that it was hard to believe that he was capable of emotion; and yet, here he was, crying.

_Jacob, _said the deep, orthoritive voice of Sam, _Take Renesmee back ot the cottage. I'll deal with your pack. I'm sorry. _I knew what he was talking about immediately: Leah. Her name stung me just by thinking about it.

_Go,_ said the pack collectively, each voice aged and weak.

As I turned around I gave Carlisle a small nod, that had no specific meaning apart from 'I'm sorry for everything'.


	44. Epilogue

**Hi!**

**This will be my last chapter but there is a sequel! It probably won't be out for quite a long time though.**

**Please leave comments!**

**Marisa**

Epilogue. Sun

I suddenly opened my eyes.

The sun rising threw sharp beams of light on my face, and I felt relieved.

It was a dream. The Volturi hadn't come, Jacob hadn't imprinted on me, and soon my father would come through the door – panicked at my fantasies, looking to comfort me - and I would have another day of a simple, easy life.

I waited for him to come through my door.

"Dad?" Silence. He had heard me hadn't he? "Dad?" No response.

Confused and worried, yet still in a good mind, I stepped out of my room and into the sitting room. There were russet hairs scattered on the wooden floor. What was Jacob doing in the house?

Trying to be as noiseless as possible, I went over to my parent's bedroom door, and nudged it open a fraction. The sight that awaited me was terrifying.

The room looked like it always did. The rising sun set beams of light onto the sand colored floor and the beautiful double bed. My parents weren't there. They were always there

I stepped insde the room cautiously. I walked gently to the bed that was perfectly made and I saw tiny, _tiny,_ dust particles settled on the sheets.

The emptiness of the room hit me like a wrecking ball, but it wasn't as bad as the harsh reality that the scene before me emitted.

It wasn't a dream. My parents and my aunt had been forced to join the Volturi.

And it was all my fault.

I would never see my parents again.

Grief overtook me, and tears brimmed over the edge of my eyes. I ran out of the cottage door, not even thinking to be silent this time. I needed to think, to find some way that this wasn't reality.

Without thinking, I went to the one place I could be guaranteed solitude. I ran across the border of the treaty, not bother to think about who would care. Nothing mattered to me now.

I went and sat on the edge of the cliff. I was there for what seemed like merely seconds, but also was like years. I just thought.

It was probably hours before I heard soft footfalls behind me. Jacob.

Though I couldn't see him, I knew who it was. I could feel him. We sat there for a few minutes and after a while he took my hand. Once his palm touched mine, a feeling of warmth seeped through me, and I was allowed to think straight.

"They really left, didn't they?" I whispered, still facing straight ahead.

Jacob said no words, but bowed his head once to say yes.

"What happened to the others? Seth, Sam, Quill, Leah?"

"Seth and Quill are fine. Sam broke a few bones but they're healed now."

"And Leah?" Jacob had deliberately avoided my question about her.

"Leah's…" He swallowed, "Nessie, Leah's dead. Alec killed her."

I would have cried or reacted but Jacob was clearly feeling worse than me.

I rested my head of his shoulder.

So many losses had happened, and I knew there must have been more dead beside Leah. My whole life had been turned upside down completely, but with Jacob, maybe I could recover. He wouldn't be giving me the blissful ignorance, the blindness to reality, the light. No, he would be giving me a gentle glow. A soft light, that was comforting, a savior to the complete and inescapable dark, it would be a light that would let me see the truth of what was happening, but that would guide the dark times and me through the bright.

I looked into his face, I knew it by heart now. I could mentally trek across every crack and crevise. His face was creased with pain. I would have to help him too, ofcourse. We were both broken.

Things would never be normal, never perfect, but I couldn't collapse. Not with Jacob. Never with Jacob.

He was the only person that could help me because I was the only person that could help him, he needed me just as much as I needed him

He would be my sun.


End file.
